Another Day in the Sun
by Hayden Lucas
Summary: Carly and Sam's twins begin their sophomore year at Ridgeway, setting the stage for love, drama, and intrigue
1. iSophomore

**iSophomore**

Melanie Puckett struggled to stay awake, even in Spanish 2, which she loved. She loved Spanish class for a number of reasons. She loved the class because it was easy. It was easy because she'd listened to Uncle Freddie babble every day of her life. She loved it because she felt safe here – her Spanish teacher and her English teacher loved each other the same way her parents loved one another. She loved it even more because her favorite person in the world was right next to her, conjugating verbs in her third language.

The bell rang. Class was over. Melanie was now very much awake.

_**IN THE HALLWAY…**_

Bridget Xi walked to Melanie's locker, her arm loose around the blonde girl's waist. They were still the quiet ones, although they had grown closer – if such a thing were in fact possible – over the summer break. Carly and Sam's sweet little girl had come out of her shell somewhat. She was now vivacious and bubbly.

She laughed, lost in her own little daydream, as her sister snuck up behind her, flicking her in the ear.

"Outta the way, Dork…"

Ashley Puckett, with CFC champion Megan Marx in tow, bolted towards the ladies' room.

Melanie mumbled through gritted teeth.

"_Oh my goodness… You are such a child!..._"

Bridget mumbled something to her partner. It was drowned out, again, by the bell. Sophomore year was off to a fabulous start.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER IN THE STUDENT UNION…**_

The Puckett Twins sat, with their respective halves, eating lunch. Ashley threw a sidelong look at her sister. Had they not shared a bedroom, Ashley wouldn't have recognized her. Mel had opted for her contacts this morning, along with a new wardrobe that Ashley and Megan had assembled for her. Despite their mother's frustration, Ashley had to admit, the little nerd looked cute.

Bridget agreed. She couldn't help but cuddle up to the little blonde.

Just then, there was a ruckus in the lunch line, along with what sounded like an avalanche of Fat Cakes.

"_Oh my God… No… He's… coming over…"_

Ashley Puckett covered her face with her hands.

Melanie was happy to see her new long-term sub wander over in their direction.

"Hey there, Budding Artists!"

Ashley slid lower in her chair. Melanie smiled brightly.

"Hey Uncle Spencer…"

Spencer waved her off.

"Ya can't call me Uncle Spencer at school, Kiddo… What if the other kids realized we're related, and expected you to help them ace Art? Besides, if they realized you got all your artistic coolness from me…"

Ashley, slightly less embarrassed by her uncle, the man-child, smiled, looking him in the face.

"Yeah, right... _that'll happen_... Oh, and by the way, Mom sends her love... and Mama wanted me to give you these..."

Unzipping her bookbag, Ashley tossed a plastic sandwich bag to Spencer. His eyes lit up.

"Oooh, cookies! Awesome!"

Spencer whipped out his phone, ready to text Sam and thank her for satiating his sweet tooth, only to find his phone missing.

It was now firmly in the grasp of one Francine Briggs.

"No cell phones during school hours!"

"But I'm a teacher…"

"No back-talk!"

"I wasn't…"

"No fraternizing with the students!"

"They're my nieces, for Chrissakes!"

"DETENTION!"

"You can't give me detention!"

"Double Detention!"

Spencer took a chance and grabbed his phone back. He'd picked the right moment, because even faculty and administrators needed to eat sometime. Luckily for Spencer Shay, Gibby had chosen to pop down to the union and indulge his sweet tooth. What Tasha didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"What's going on here?"

Briggs began a seemingly thoroughly rehearsed lecture.

"Young Mister Shay here was busy violating school rules, making unauthorized phone calls and fraternizing with teenage girls…"

Gibby cleared his throat and interrupted.

"Last I checked, Francine, at least two of these young ladies are his nieces, so I fail to see…"

Briggs got huffy.

"But… But…"

"That's enough, Francine… have a good day…"

Spencer shot the principal a grateful half-smile.

"Gibbayyyyy…"

He smirked.

"All in a day's work, Spence…"

The girls stifled laughter. Long before he was their high school principal, they thought of him simply as their _'Uncle Gibby'_, but either way, they couldn't believe the smack-down he'd just delivered – in public, no less – to Francine Briggs. Megan Marx, never one to back down from a fight, shot off her mouth as soon as Mr. Gibson was far enough away that he couldn't distinguish her voice.

"Get bent, Francine…"

Ashley slapped her hand.

"Megan, stoppit! You're gonna get detention…"

Megan grinned, playing all sweet and innocent.

"Yes, Dear…"

_**THE MARX RESIDENCE, MERCER ISLAND…**_

Shelby Marx's pregnancy had complicated the lives of two families. Finally following doctor's orders, Shelby had to give up her training schedule at the gym, trusting only Samantha Puckett with running the gym. Sam, for her part, entrusted _Il Terrazzo Carmine_ – on alternating days – to Wendy and The Nub. Shelby Marx, of course, needed a babysitter.

"Carlyyyyy!"

Carly Puckett rushed in, fluffing the pillow propped in the small of Shelby Marx's back.

Shelby was flat-out cranky.

"Why did I let Wendy talk me into this?"

"Because you love her and because, when it's all over, there's going to be a beautiful little person bouncing around…"

Shelby continued to fuss. She was a dear friend, a wonderful woman, and a great mom, but she was a horrible patient. Carly patted Shelby's shoulder.

"Would you just hush, please? Wendy's right, you're all bark and no bite…"

Shelby grumbled. She knew her friend meant well, but she was swollen and uncomfortable.

"Carly Shay! I'd kick you in the head right now if I could see my feet!"

Carly giggled.

"Take it up with your wife, Sweetheart… Just doing my job…"

_**LATER THAT AFTERNOON…**_

The girls sat together, chattering contently on the bus, on the way home from school. Bridget snuggled close to Melanie, whispering in her ear.

"I like the new look, but you and your sister look creepy alike… Are the glasses too much to ask?"

Melanie chuckled, not realizing how much she really resembled her sister. Granted, they were twins, but, for Melanie, this was _'dressed down'_. She wasn't used to it.

"Of course not… I just wanted…"

Bridget smiled.

"Yeah, I know… and you rocked it…"

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

The front door to the Puckett home swung open. The girls found Carly in the kitchen, cooking away. The brunette smiled.

"Hey there, sophomores…"

It was Megan who spoke up.

"Hey Missus Puckett… How was my mom today?"

Carly's eyes sparkled, as usual.

"She's fine, Pumpkin… except that she can't see her toes…"

Megan giggled.

"Yeah… Welcome to my world. It's so weird…"

Carly smirked.

"Come on in and take a load off… Dinner's almost done…"

Within minutes, four small bodies were sprawled across the sofa, the TV on. It felt like home again.


	2. iFirst Date

**iFirst Date**

Carly cozied herself into Sam's lap that evening, her head resting on Sam's navel. Sam was in shape, but her stomach felt fuller and rounder than normal.

Carly laughed.

"You're all… _squishy_…"

Sam chuckled.

"That happens with Uncle Carmine's lasagna, remember, Cupcake?"

Sam stroked Carly's hair gently.

"Thanks for gettin' the girls outta our hair, by the way…"

Carly blushed. She loved her babies – and other peoples' – but she needed cuddle time with her partner.

"Sam… Honey…"

Sam knew what Carly was asking.

"Carls, you know there isn't enough time for all of that… My guess is the girls'll be back in maybe an hour, tops… Why we constantly have to take in those other two, I don't know…"

Carly shifted her weight and poked Sam.

"Sam… you know Megan's having a rough time dealing with Shelby and Bridget…"

Carly paused. She didn't want to betray her daughter's confidence, but Sam was her other half.

"…Bridget's having some… problems at home…"

Sam was crude and to the point, as always, but Carly knew her heart was in the right place.

"Her Mama still hatin' on Q?"

Carly sighed.

"Given that our daughter is our daughter, I think she tolerates it and knows there's nothing she can really do to separate them, but apparently things aren't, ya know, rosy…"

Sam, in her own way, took a negative and spun it around a hundred and eighty degrees. She knew what it took to make the love of her life laugh and forget life's trials and tribulations.

"Ya want I should break my butter sock outta the freezer?"

"Samantha!"

"Have Uncle Carmine's boys shake her up a little? Go to that little restaurant and shake them down for protection, just to prove a point?"

"SAM! Her grandparents run that place!"

Sam knew she'd gone just a bit too far. She couldn't help it. She was one protective Mama Bear. She took a deep breath. It certainly made Carly feel better.

"Sorry, Carls…"

The brunette chuckled slightly.

"It's okay, you hooligan… I know your heart was in the right place…"

_**MEANWHILE, AT IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

Wendy Marx, in Sam Puckett's stead, had Carly and Sam's youngest up at a table just off the formal dining room. The elder Puckett had chosen to take Wendy's little girl and go for a walk. Wendy, being a mom, was fairly sure that her daughter had other plans.

Melanie glanced up from her lobster and cheese ravioli, nearly swallowing it whole.

Bridget worried.

"What's the matter, Sweety?"

Melanie took a quick swallow of iced tea. She couldn't believe her eyes. Three tables away, she spotted a Ridgeway High teacher – on a date.

"Oh God… Oh God… Oh God… Oh God…"

Bridget noticed, blushed, and giggled. Her girlfriend was being ridiculous.

"So what? Miss Merrow and Senora Moya have been together for, like, forever… They're just having dinner…"

Melanie felt silly, but this was the last place she expected to see a teacher.

Bridget patted her girlfriend's hand. It was their Date Night.

"Relax, Cupcake… It's not like they can exactly _'out'_ us…"

Melanie's pulse quickened. Her teacher had seen them and was headed this way.

Melanie did her best to smile and keep a low profile. Discretion was the better part of valor. She'd let her love do the talking.

Bridget smiled at their English teacher, trying to appear at ease.

"Hi, Miss Merrow…"

"Well, Miss Xi and Miss Puckett, what a nice surprise…"

Bridget squeezed her partner's hand a little harder than necessary. The pretty blonde swallowed hard and spoke.

"Hi…"

The older woman made small talk.

"So, how are you ladies tonight?"

Melanie blushed.

"It's kinda… our first… official date…"

Bridget blushed, beaming.

"Yeah…"

It took a second for reality to sink in, but when it did, a huge weight lifted off the little girl's shoulders. This woman wasn't her teacher tonight – just a lady having dinner with the one she loved.

The striking Latina made her way to her partner's side. She chose to be funny.

"This doesn't look like the ladies' room…"

"Hey, Chica!"

The teens giggled.

_**MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE…**_

Ashley and Megan truly had never left. They had told Wendy the truth – from a certain point of view. They _had_ gone for a walk, but only from the restaurant's front door to the sporty little car that had been the twins' Sweet Sixteen gift from Melanie and Freddie Benson. Ashley had cranked on the heater, locked the doors, and shimmied her way into the back seat with Megan. They knew they had plenty of time while Mel and Bridget enjoyed their little Nerd Date.

They both knew to be careful. They both had parents who'd knock them upside the head if they suspected anything funny had gone on. Ashley kissed the champion's neck just the same.

_**BACK HOME…**_

Carly and Sam cuddled on the sofa with their traditional bowl of popcorn. They were watching old _iCarly_ episodes on a loop, all pulled from Freddie's custom-built server next door. They felt nostalgic and it felt fun.

Carly tickled her partner's now-bare stomach. After a few _'extracurricular activities'_, they'd gotten cozy for the night.

"God, I wish we've never ended the show…"

"I know, Carls, but remember… You're always my little Space Cheerleader…"

"SAM! If the girls ever snooped in our bedroom… God!"

Sam grinned.

"Be thankful they don't."

Carly was. If her children knew even a quarter of their misadventures, Carly was sure the girls would never be able to look neither her nor Sam in the eyes ever again. She and Sam had quite the healthy intimate life, but they did their best to keep it hidden. Teenagers had enough to worry about.

Sam leaned close and pecked the brunette gently on the cheek.

"You're the best, Cupcake. I love you so much…"

"Tell me something I don't know, Samantha…"

They had a healthy love life and would never apologize for it. What worried Carly, of course, was the fact that both of her little girls were nearly grown and embarking on love lives of their own.

Sam could read her partner's thoughts.

"Chillax, Cupcake… It'll be cool. Now, come 'ere and give Mama some lovin'…


	3. iCan Come Home Again

**iCan Come Home Again**

Carly and Sam rushed the girls through the airport, waiting outside the concourse for the arrival of the inbound Miami flight, having connected through Denver. It was Sam who was nervous.

"Oh, God… what do I do? I mean…"

Carly rapped her beautiful wife on the knuckles.

"Sam… Please!"

The twins shot each other a smirk. They knew Mama was whipped. Carly would always have the upper hand.

Carly instructed the twins appropriately.

"Girls, now remember, Uncle Carmine's a little… um…. Sam, Honey… how best do we describe Uncle Carmine?"

Before Sam could weigh in, Carly's quiet girl spoke up.

"Relax, Mommy, it's not like we've never met Uncle Carmine before… We know he loves us…"

Ashley muttered something smart about Carmine's life outside the law, which earned her a harder than expected swat in the head from Mama. Carly would have protested, but she knew the reason Sam had done it. It had cut too close to the bone and Carmine had been so good to them for so long. It wasn't that Carly condoned corporal punishment, yet, even at sixteen, she thought a knock in the head was deserved. Sam lectured her daughter in a harsh Italian whisper. This would end now.

"_Guarda la tua bocca! Mostrare un po' di rispetto per ciò che egli ha fatto per questa famiglia!"_

It was abundantly clear. Nothing would be said of Uncle Carmine's business. Business was business and family was family. Carly and Sam went off in search of coffee, the blonde still nervously fidgeting with her jacket. As soon as their parents were out of sight, Melanie knocked her sister upside the head. Ashley was none-too-happy.

"_Would you stop that?"_

"Well, don't ask questions you don't really want the answers to… Jeez!"

"So what if Uncle Carmine's…."

Melanie loved her sister. She flicked her hard in the ear.

"Uncle Carmine's very special to us… that's all…"

Ashley got the point. What Uncle Carmine did was irrelevant. Sam and Carly returned, carrying a tray of coffee, hot chocolate for Melanie. The little blonde was like Carly in that respect – she was slightly sensitive to caffeine. They huddled together, quietly sipping their drinks, making small talk, and waiting for Uncle Carmine's flight to arrive.

"Mama, I'm sorry…"

Sam shot Ashley a long look. It was all water under the bridge at this point. She wanted to be sure her little girl got the message.

"Just watch what you say, understood?"

It was perfectly clear. Nothing more would be said. She knew her next slip would likely mean the loss of a finger.

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Carmine Puckett, now seventy-five, dressed entirely in black, made his way through the terminal with ease. The years and the Florida sun had been kind to him. He was in remarkable shape for his age – better than men twenty years his junior, in fact. The silver-tipped black cane was entirely a status symbol. Sam stood to meet him. He dropped the cane and embraced her, kissing her cheeks vigorously, speaking in Italian.

"Love you too, Uncle Carmine…"

Carmine smiled broadly and proceeded to smother Carly with kisses.

"Carlotta…"

The brunette flushed.

The twins were now standing briskly at attention, as though they expected to be inspected by their grandfather, Colonel Steven Shay.

Carmine smiled.

"Guardando più bella ogni giorno, delle ragazze..."

The twins responded in unison. Carly thought they sounded like they were five years old again.

"Grazie..."

_**MOMENTS LATER, IN THE PARKING GARAGE…**_

Carly and the girls politely tried to help Carmine with his things, while Sam fell all over herself to please Carmine. She wanted to show the old man that his empire was well cared-for. The blonde reached into her jacket pocket, handing the old man a thick envelope.

"Business is good…"

Carmine thumbed through the bills, knowing ten thousand dollars simply by weight and feel. He chuckled.

"The restaurant holdin' together?"

Sam chuckled. She knew this was his way of saying he was proud of everything she'd done. She reached for the door, only to have it opened for the both of them by the uniformed driver, who spoke to the old man as though he were addressing God Himself.

"Welcome home, Sir…"

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER, ACROSS TOWN…**_

Carly was busy making her house a home. Ashley and Megan cuddled on the sofa, while Bridget snuggled against Melanie. The little Korean girl sucked on a Wahoo Punch, turning the corners of her mouth bright red. Melanie teased her. The red dye stood out against the Asian girl's porcelain complexion.

"You look so cute…"

Carly's daughter wound the girl's dark hair in her fingers.

_**MEANWHILE, AT IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

The old man walked through the restaurant as though he'd never left. It was quiet. It was simply a conversation between uncle and niece.

"Ya done good, Kid…"

Sam chuckled. This was high praise coming from the old man, even though she knew he trusted her vision for the place implicitly. He trusted her implicitly in all things. She was, for want of a better term, the de facto boss, wielding the power of God over all of Carmine's endeavors in his absence. She would never use it, however, unless it was absolutely essential. With great power came great responsibility, and that was not what Sam had signed on for. She had everything she had ever wanted. She had everything under heaven to lose.

Sam spoke quietly to the old man. He had given her everything she could ever have asked for. Their reunion, she knew, would be all too brief. For this very reason, she knew that she would relinquish control of the restaurant to Carmine as long as he was here. It was only right. This was his baby.

"It's good to have you home…"

Carmine threw his arm around the blonde girl. He was very happy to be back right where he belonged. They crossed the floor together. Sam hit the lights as they walked out the door, making their way to Sam's car. Carmine was a great many things to a great many people, but to Sam Puckett, he was simply her uncle. She kissed him gently on the cheek as they left. They didn't want to be late. Carly was making Chicken Parmesan. Sam couldn't help herself. Life's major decisions were always dictated by her stomach.


	4. iGo To Work

**iGo To Work**

The next few days went by without incident. The twins had lost use of the guest bedroom, which now housed Uncle Carmine, but they knew that there was no other way. There was no way that their parents would permit Carmine to stay anywhere but under their roof.

Ashley flipped her hair and pulled her jacket on, calling into the kitchen. Her mother was nowhere in sight.

"MOM! GOING TO MEGAN'S! BACK LATER!"

Melanie looked up from the sofa, her nose firmly in a paperback.

"Could you _be_ any louder?"

Ashley just smiled at her sister. They were the way they were.

"I mean, I _could_, but Mama's buttersock is in the freezer…"

They laughed. The twins very rarely had moments alone to be silly and playful like this. They spent all their free time with their respective partners – rightly or wrongly. Melanie spoke up quietly. She would always be the quiet, reserved one.

"I don't say it a lot, but I love you, you know…"

Ashley blushed.

"Stop it… I know… I know we should spend more time together, just us, but… you know…"

Of course Melanie knew. She could very nearly read her sister's thoughts. It had been that way since they were small.

"That Girl makes you happy, I get it…"

"She likes you…"

"Yeah, maybe, but you two kinda belong together…"

Ashley Puckett flushed a deep magenta. She couldn't even get out of the door. Before she knew it, she held her sister in her arms, wrapping her into a tight hug.

"Okay, so, I'm going… Don't wait up for me…"

Melanie grinned.

"I won't have to. That big redheaded ox will just climb through the window again…"

Ashley just rolled her eyes.

"Love you, Nerd…"

Melanie took it in stride. She just knew her sister loved her.

_**ACROSS TOWN AT IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

Behind the host's stand at the front door, Bridget Xi fidgeted. She felt anxious, but not in the way everyone expected. She gently gripped Sam Puckett's wrist and spoke in barely a whisper.

"Excuse me, Missus Puckett?"

Sam smirked.

"You can call me Sam, you know…"

Bridget felt nervous. She stuttered slightly.

"Th…th…thank you…"

Sam thought the sweet little Asian girl has gone around the twist.

"Look, Kiddo… it's no big thing. I needed some extra help here and you need some cash in your pocket…"

Bridget blushed slightly. She didn't want to bite the hand that, more often than not, fed her, but it struck her as odd.

"But Megan Marx?"

Sam laughed.

"Yeah, _well_… She's kind of a special case… She needs someone to keep an eye on her…"

Bridget giggled.

Although she was the boss, Sam had abdicated those duties until further notice to her beloved Uncle Carmine. Carmine had settled into the routine that had been his those years ago while Sam was simply a hanger-on for the next two weeks. Though Bridget was technically on the clock tonight, Sam had decided to pay her to simply hang out. After talking to Carly, Sam was ready and willing to do whatever she could for the quiet, unassuming little girl.

_**A SHORT TIME LATER, IN THE KITCHEN…**_

Bridget loved it here. She'd been coming here as long as she could remember. She was making herself comfortable walking through the kitchen when a tall Italian cook spoke to her in a tone she hated.

"I know you… You're the new girl… You're always in here with the boss's kid."

Bridget was quiet by nature, but this hurt. She knew co-workers didn't necessarily need to equal friends, but she felt physically violated.

"What's your deal anyway? The way I hear it, the kid's a dyke anyways…"

The tall, olive-skinned man looked up from the fragile little Korean teenager – straight into the ice blue gaze of Sam Puckett. Sam wanted to lose control immediately. This young man had insulted everything she stood for, held dear, and believed, all in one breath. She knew that there was only one possible way to balance the scales – one fate worse than death.

"UNCLE CARMINE!"

The old man came running. Their conversation took place in such a heated rush that even the cook couldn't keep up. Sam explained the horrible truth – what this man had said of The Family, her beautiful daughter, and the repugnant term that she'd overheard him use.

Sam heard her uncle's jaw crack. This was the Carmine Puckett she remembered – the Carmine Puckett that no one ever dared cross. She motioned to the little girl.

"Go to my office and stay there, would you please?"

Bridget knew that it wasn't a question. She scurried out of the room as quickly as her dainty little feet would carry her.

Carmine had gone completely out of his head. Sam noticed the vein in his forehead throbbing, threatening the old man with a stroke at any moment. He was furious. His rant slipped between Italian and English at the slightest provocation.

"You _dare_ to come here – TO MY HOUSE – and speak this way?"

The younger man was slack-jawed. Carmine continued.

"Even for those who live outside the law, when the system breaks down, there are rules that must be enforced…"

The young cook stuttered. Carmine needed him to understand. He inhaled deeply and sighed. He was tired. He turned, directing his attention elsewhere.

"Samantha?"

"Sì?"

He dismissed her with a flick of his wrist. Sam understood all too well. This was Carmine's Business. The fewer witnesses, the better.

_**FORTY FIVE MINUTES LATER…**_

Sam led Bridget out of her office, where they'd spent the past forty-five minutes talking. Sam was doing all she could to distract the downy innocent from the matter at hand. Carmine handled business the only way he knew how. His name still hung above the door, so justice was his to mete out.

Sam spoke to the pretty girl quietly. They'd talked over a number of things in the past hour, none of them related to her new job here at the restaurant.

"I'm sorry… you know… about your mom…"

Bridget sniffled. She had been crying. It hurt her to tell Sam that her own mother wasn't accepting of who and what she was, particularly since she'd known Melanie virtually all of her life.

"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that… you know, into work…"

Sam held the little girl around the shoulders, just as she would her own daughter.

"Oh, stop… You're on my payroll because I want you to be… I love you like one of my own… you've gotta be smart enough to know that by now…"

Bridget smiled through tears. She figured that this was true, but she had only heard it stated as fact just now. She looked up at Sam. The blonde woman looked like what she knew an older, weathered version of her girlfriend would assuredly be in perhaps twenty-five years.

"I… I love her, you know…"

Sam gently tousled the Asian girl's dark hair.

"Come on, Kid… you're staying at my place tonight…"

Bridget smiled at the thought, but her brain immediately drifted back to the elderly Italian man.

"But your uncle…"

Sam smiled. She shouted into the kitchen in fluent Italian, knowing that Bridget didn't yet know enough to piece their conversation together. She told him to finish with business here and that she would come back to get him as soon as her babies – in this case, Carly, the twins, and Bridget – were asleep. Carmine answered in a way only Sam understood.

The blonde woman led the little girl by the wrist.

"C'mon, Kiddo… Let's get you home and into bed…"

The mention of _'home'_ sent Bridget's heart aflutter, because that was where Melanie was.

"I can sleep on the sofa, Missus Puckett… I don't mean to impose…"

Sam knew that wasn't about to happen.

"You won't sleep on the sofa…"

Sam grinned and led Bridget through the darkened recesses of _Il Terrazzo Carmine_. She knew that she would never schedule the quiet little girl to work without Megan Marx in the building as well. The gentle little girl meant too much. She needed to be protected at all costs.


	5. iAm Protected

**iAm Protected**

Melanie Puckett stirred as Sam's key clicked in the lock. She had fallen asleep watching TV. Her words came out a sleep-mangled mess.

"Momma home… Ma.. ma…"

She spoke through yawns. She thought she was still dreaming. She swore she saw Bridget.

"Pretty… blurry girl…"

Sam chuckled.

"Go on, Kiddo… Sounds to me like she's ready for bed…"

Bridget was beyond nervous, but she followed both her heart and Sam Puckett's advice, slowly making her way to the sofa, to round up her pretty little blonde girlfriend. Sam, sensing the little girl's trepidation, spurred her on.

"Go on, I'm not gonna be mad at you…"

Bridget wasn't entirely sure about that, but the notion of snuggling in close to Melanie, where she felt she belonged, won her over.

Sam smiled to herself before turning down the hallway to head to bed herself.

_**THE NEXT MORNING…**_

It was a bright Saturday morning. Carmine Puckett dozed in the recliner at the far corner of the living room. Sam hadn't gone back for him. He'd simply called one of his lieutenants to drive him. Retirement or not, Carmine Puckett would always be the boss of bosses. The old man's chest rose and fell gently, white t-shirt over dress slacks and a broad chest. Even the old lion could sleep peacefully when he was the king of the jungle.

Ashley Puckett wandered into the front of the house from the hall. Were it not for the obligatory curves, she would have seemed very much male, a Seattle Cobras t-shirt over boxer shorts, without socks.

"MOM! Why's there a half-naked Korean girl on the sofa, spooning with your daughter?"

Carly shushed her daughter harshly.

"You stop it! You want to ask that question, ask your Mama what happened at work last night…"

Ashley turned to face Sam, but the look on the elder Puckett's face simply said '_Don't Ask'_.

"Oh…"

Sam cleared her throat.

"_So…_ if you could, try to go easy on them. They're not like you and Megan…"

The implication was clear. Where Ashley and Megan took after Sam and Shelby, respectively, Melanie and Bridget were much more like Carly and Sam's own twin sister. Like Carly and Mythical Melanie before them, these two were girly girls and needed a fair degree of protection, simply because it was the right thing to do.

Ashley cleared her throat. She felt horrible as she looked Sam in the eye.

"I… uh… had no idea… I mean, I know her mom's a little old-fashioned and whatever, but you know I like the kid… I look out for them at school the best I can…"

Sam's eyes sparkled with pride. She'd instilled a sense of fair play in her kids, who understood the concepts of fairness and decency, simply as what was expected. Sam reasonably expected her daughter to harass Melanie solely because they were sisters; it just worked that way. She equally expected bickering because they were so different, but Ashley no longer wanted any part of it. Her sister was her responsibility, and if the little Korean girl made her happy, then she was her responsibility too. She looked from Sam to the floor and back to Sam, before Mama cut her off.

"I already know…"

Ashley looked slack-jawed.

"You…. Huh?"

Sam smiled. She'd gotten her daughter to essentially tell on herself.

"C'mon, Kid… You don't think I know what's going on? I was crawlin' through Carls's window when I was younger'n you…"

Carly wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and pulled her gently.

"Uh… Sam… _I don't think_ she needs to know about all of that…"

The words registered inside Ashley's head.

"Um…. Eww!"

Carly knew she needed to explain.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Ashley emerged from the shower, wrapped in a towel, while Carmine sat at the table, sipping a cappuccino. Like clockwork, tall, lean Megan Marx stumbled out of the twins' shared bedroom. Carmine shot Carly a look, begging explanation. The brunette obliged.

"We know…"

Sam interjected, speaking over Carly.

"We're putting bars on the windows…"

The old man chuckled. He was blessed. He blushed a slight red, out of embarrassment, as he spoke to his niece quietly.

"How do you manage? Four children under one roof…"

Both Carly and Sam knew what Carmine was driving at. One had to be blind not to see that their twin daughters were in love. Carly and Sam both wanted to answer, but they each took the words out of each others' mouths.

"We manage…"

"…We try to give them back…"

"…They aren't that much trouble, really…"

They both knew Carmine was likely uncomfortable in a house full of women, but he loved them so.

Ashley greeted the adults happily, kissing them each in turn.

"Good Morning… Morning, Uncle Carmine…"

Carmine chuckled and gave the teenager a nod, lecturing her warmly. It was his way.

"Cover up, little girl… you'll catch cold…"

Ashley was dressed, but her hair was still damp. She chuckled. Megan followed close behind, drawing the pretty blonde into a hug. Even she greeted Carmine with a deferential nod and a smile.

"Good Morning, Mister Puckett…"

Carmine knew her by sight.

"Good morning, Miss Marx…"

Megan was taken aback. She had barely spoken ten words to the old man since his arrival. Carmine smiled.

"In my business, it pays to know things…"

_**FORTY MINUTES LATER…**_

The house was full to bursting. The Benson family had come over, as Uncle Carmine had promised Freddie, Melanie, and their children a day trip. Carmine knew just the place. In the midst of all the hubbub, the Puckett family patriarch looked Megan Marx squarely in the face.

"Call your parents… Of course, they are invited as well…"

Megan was thoroughly confused. She had no idea how this man knew her parents, but she had heard stories. The story went that _'Uncle Carmine'_ wasn't a man who took 'No' for an answer very often.

"Uh… yessir…"

He smiled at her.

"Good girl…"

Returning his attention to his other niece and her family, Carmine felt content. This was the time he relished. He kissed the small boy and girl on their foreheads before drawing Samantha's twin sister to him.

"I love you…"

Mythical Melanie whispered softly to him in Italian, only Freddie overheard. Melanie's little tech-boy smiled. He'd come to expect nothing less of this family.


	6. iDaytrip

**iDaytrip**

Theirs was a unique blended family, but it was what it was. Carly squeezed Sam's hand tightly in the back of the black SUV.

"Sam… I… I dunno about this…"

"Relax, Carls… It's just the aquarium…"

The fact wasn't lost on Carly. She was feeling agitated.

"Did you take your pills, Cupcake?"

Sam knew fully well that large crowds and enclosed spaces made Carly go all wiggy.

"Yes, Dear…" Carly answered her sweetly. Sam fussed at her, sweetly and in a whisper.

"Don't you sass me…"

Carly grinned.

"Or what?"

"Watch it, Shay…"

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER, ACROSS TOWN…**_

Melanie and Bridget hung back from the rest of the group. They both loved the aquarium, but Melanie felt like things were off. She held Bridget so close she thought she might smother her.

Carly noticed. She hung back herself. Mel had always taken after her, Carly knew that look. Her daughter was confused and hurting. Melanie spoke barely above a whisper.

"I love you…"

Like a ninja out of the dark, she touched the little blonde girl's shoulder. Melanie nearly shrieked. Carly answered her daughter, knowing full well that the little blonde was talking to her girlfriend.

"…I love you too…"

Melanie swallowed the panic back into her chest.

"Mom… Jesus… you scared me…"

Carly knew something was very wrong, but she wasn't about to get in the way of the two young girls. It wasn't her place. She kissed the back of her little girl's head before retreating into the darkness.

"Sorry, Sweetheart… You know I didn't mean to…"

Melanie blushed, even in the pitch dark. Carly knew it. It was a wonderful feeling. Bridget's fingers were dancing in hers, with her mother a matter of inches away.

The little blonde spoke again, in that little-girl voice Carly had always associated with embarrassment.

"Love you, Mommy…"

Carly smiled to herself, drifting off to rejoin Sam. She knew a mother-daughter talk would be forthcoming, but now wasn't the time. Now, it was time for Melanie to be with Bridget. That was all that mattered now.

Moments later, Carly let her head fall onto Sam's shoulder. Her wife was confused.

"What gives, Carls? We were in the middle of a conversation, and you just disappear…"

"It's Mel, Sweety… She won't say so, but I know something's eating at her…"

Sam Puckett let out an exasperated sigh. She knew what was going on.

"Cupcake, look… I know what's going on, but it's… I dunno… complicated…"

Carly pinched her wife in the dark.

"Oww! Damn, Carls… It's Bridget, alright? Stuff at home, ya know…"

Carly had figured that much. Her eyes drifted over to her youngest child and the little girl by her side. She could tell that her shy, quiet girl was all whipped up inside. Telling her to calm down would do no good – telling a girl to calm down never worked; it simply would serve to make matters worse.

Melanie wrung her hands nervously.

"I just… please don't say what I think you're gonna say…"

Bridget was thoroughly confused and the look on her face told the blonde so.

"You're amazing and beautiful and lots of things, but what on Earth are you going on about?"

Melanie interrupted.

"I know your mom doesn't like… you know… us… like… you know… _us_…"

It was true that Karen Xi didn't like the idea of her daughter having romantic feelings for the quiet little Puckett girl, but she hoped that it was simply a phase she was going through and that – in time – she'd date one of the nice young boys from their own community.

Bridget was exasperated. She huffed at Melanie in that cute little way she occasionally did, although she wasn't angry, just mildly frustrated.

"Would you listen for one minute… Please?"

Melanie's shoulders slumped. She didn't want to hear what she was sure was coming next. She was fighting tears.

"Don't… _please don't…_"

Bridget knew that tone. Her hand found the small of the blonde girl's back in the dark and shot beneath her t-shirt, caressing her bare skin free of prying eyes. She dipped her head close to her friend's, whispering in her ear.

"I don't give a damn about what my mother thinks…"

Dark eyes found blue in the darkness. Bridget squeezed Melanie's hand there, in front of the dolphin tank.

"What my mother doesn't understand is her problem…"

Melanie felt her heart race. This was what she wanted, but a million miles away from anything she expected. She rested her head on the Asian girl's shoulder.

"I love you…" she whispered.

"I know you do, Pumpkin…" Bridget replied. She wanted her pretty blonde girlfriend to relax.

_**TWO HOURS LATER, ON MERCER ISLAND…**_

Melanie Benson enjoyed playing hostess. Her entire family was here, plus four. Wendy, a very pregnant Shelby, and Megan occupied the loveseat in the corner of the front room. Little Bridget Xi cornered the Grammy winner in her kitchen, in the little alcove between the kitchen itself and the breakfast nook. This was as close to privacy as was to be had today. She spoke nervously and in a timid voice, not unlike a fan seeking an autograph, although Bridget had known this woman nearly all of her life.

"Ex…um… Excuse me… Missus Benson?"

Mythical Melanie turned, to see her niece's partner shaking like a leaf. She broke into a broad smile at the sight of the little girl.

"Yes, Dear? You know, you _can_ call me by my first name…"

Bridget blushed.

"I… yes, I know, but…" Bridget's thoughts were running through her brain at a mile a minute. It was hard, since she always prided herself on her intellect and now could barely string a sentence together. Melanie Benson smiled.

"Out with it, Girl…"

Bridget giggled for the first time all day.

"Um… _you see_…"

Mythical Melanie was tiring of Twenty Questions. She interrupted.

"You're in love with my niece. That's not exactly a secret… but what can I do for you, Sweetheart?"

Bridget blushed.

"Well, Maam… um…"

Bridget shared her secret news with the only person she knew would understand. The Seattle Community Theatre was putting on _Jesus Christ Superstar_ under the direction of one of Broadway's finest musical talents, now trying his hand at directing. He was someone Melanie knew well. He'd made a name for himself in the big city, but he was as well known in his field as Melanie was in hers. Bridget wanted so badly to audition, but didn't know if she had the talent to sing alongside classically trained actors in musical theatre. She wanted Melanie's help.

The tall blonde lady simply smiled, throwing the little Korean girl into a hug.

"Of course I'll help you… but why so shy about it?"

Bridget wasn't sure, but she knew that she was turning red again.

"I dunno… but… you know… I know she loves the play…"

Mythical Melanie smirked. She immediately knew the answer.

"…And you don't want to disappoint my sister's youngest, is that it?"

Bridget nodded shyly.

Sam's twin hugged the little girl. She was as much a part of this family as anyone.

"That's sweet, but you really don't have a thing to worry about…"

Bridget flushed, but let the older blonde hold her. It had been quite a day.


	7. iAm Not Who You Think I Am

**iAm Not Who You Think I Am**

Bridget unlocked the front door to her apartment, hearing the metallic scrape as the key turned in the lock. She let herself in, expecting to be alone, but found her mother instead.

Karen Xi fussed at her in their native tongue before switching to English.

"…And where were you, Little Girl?"

It hurt when her mother called her _'Little Girl'_. Anyone looking at Bridget could see that, although petite and childlike in many respects, she was also very much on the verge of womanhood.

"It's no big deal, Mom… I was with Melanie… Her uncle's visiting and invited me out for the day with them…"

This stopped Karen cold. One thing she'd always taught her only daughter was to graciously accept the kindness of others, when extended to you. She had never before set eyes on Carmine Puckett, but had she, she would know that turning down an invitation from the old man was most assuredly not an option.

"I don't like you spending all of your time with that girl…"

"What? She a bad influence on me? She has a four-point GPA, she's funny, she's kind, and I…"

"…and you what?"

Bridget blushed. She couldn't bring herself to say the words. She deftly changed the subject.

"Mom, she's a good person and she's been my best friend forever…"

"But she clings to you like a little puppy dog… She should at least allow you the opportunity to study, pay attention to your other obligations, and maybe find yourself a nice boyfriend… you're of the right age now to at least be looking…"

Bridget was disturbed to think that her mother thought of her as a sexual being, rather than simply as a teenager.

"Eww, Mom… that's kinda gross…"

Bridget's cell phone rang. The light, airy ringtone signaled a call from the one Bridget wished were here most of all – Melanie Elizabeth Puckett.

She answered the call immediately.

"Hey… Kinda can't talk right now… Mom and I… uh… yeah, I know…"

Bridget spoke in a tiny little girl voice. She didn't want her mother to hear.

"…I love you…"

She ended the call quietly. A look of shock played out on Karen Xi's face.

"You _WHAT?_"

Bridget blinked in disbelief.

"What did you just tell that girl?"

Without the slightest provocation, fat tears burst from Bridget's eyes. She didn't know what to say. She began to hyperventilate.

"I…she…uh….I... –"

Karen Xi had never meant to hurt her daughter. She was simply as lost and confused about this as Bridget must have been.

"You just told the little Puckett girl that you _loved her_…"

Bridget was angry and defensive. Sixteen years of pent-up confusion and hurt had broken inside of her. Everything was pouring out of her at once and it was _not_ pretty.

"_SO WHAT IF I DID? _WHAT DOES IT MATTER TO YOU? She's important…"

Karen Xi's mouth hung open. Her daughter had never spoken to her this way before. She stuttered, confused herself. It would be a long evening.

_**AN HOUR LATER…**_

Bridget Xi dried her eyes. Melanie had just arrived at the Elliott Bay Towers, which Bridget and her mother called home. She cozied up to the pretty Asian girl, speaking deferentially to Mrs. Xi.

"Maam, I…" Melanie swallowed hard. She tried very hard not to come off as defensive, even though she wanted badly to have her Mama's buttersock handy. She glared at Mrs. Xi, all the while speaking gently to Bridget.

"Such pretty eyes… Don't cry…"

Mrs. Xi cleared her throat.

"Mommy… STOP! At least she's trying to help…"

Melanie spoke up, again addressing Bridget's mother.

"Missus Xi, please… She tried to tell you for over a year, and all she heard from you was that she was perfect for this doctor's nephew or this lawyer's son…"

Bridget trembled as she looked toward her mother.

"It's true, Mom… You do kinda push me on the sons of your friends…"

Karen Xi hadn't thought of it this way.

"I… I thought that, maybe, you'd take a liking to one of them and –"

Melanie's hand dropped to Bridget's lap, gently brushing her knee. Bridget found the strength to swallow her panicky nausea.

"It isn't that I don't like them, Mom… I just don't like them… _like that_… That's what I have her for…"

Bridget smiled for the first time in hours, shooting the blonde a sidelong glance.

_**TWENTY FIVE MINUTES LATER…**_

The intercom in the wall buzzed. A slender finger hit the button. The voice was familiar to all but Mrs. Xi.

"Yeah, it's me… let's roll, I'm… kinda double-parked…"

Bridget giggled. Melanie's arms were crossed tightly across her chest. She was pouting.

"You called _her_?"

"Oh, stoppit… it's going to be okay…"

Bridget ran over to her mother, hugging her gently – without the affection she generally had for her – burying her face into the older woman's chest.

"Thank you, Mommy…"

It was rare for Karen Xi to give her perfect, studious daughter permission to be out on a school night, but given that this girl was a school friend, plus her coworker, she figured that it was acceptable. The fact that she was leaving with little Melanie Puckett was less than ideal, but she wasn't about to cause any more of a scene than had transpired already. She kissed her daughter on the head, speaking to her in Korean. After a long moment, she let Bridget go and watched her walk out the door, towards the elevator, carrying her book bag and a few personal items. It was nice that she had friends outside of the little blonde girl.

_**IN THE HALL…**_

Melanie turned to Bridget. She was going a mile a minute.

"Ohmygod… I can't believe your mother!"

Bridget shrugged.

"She's old-school… Everything with her is a cultural thing. It's just not something she understands…"

The elevator yawned and the girls stepped inside. They had a date with the parking garage and a black SUV. Melanie giggled to herself at just how naïve Karen Xi was. She actually believed that Bridget would be spending the night at Megan Marx's house. That was impossible. Megan Marx rarely slept there anymore.

Melanie smirked at Bridget. She looked like a cat that had just swallowed a canary.

"Your mom _does_ realize I know exactly what she said to you, right?"

Bridget smiled.

"No…."

Melanie smiled broadly.

"Well, she and I apparently have something in common... We both love you more than anything…"


	8. iHave A Sleepover

**iHave A Sleepover**

The SUV came to a stop in the Pucketts' driveway. Melanie was nervous. Something wasn't quite right. She spoke in the direction of Megan Marx in the driver seat.

"Uh… Where are my parents?"

Megan waved her off dismissively.

"Shhhh!"

"Megan!"

"Alright… Jesus! Do you ever hush? Everything's cool, alright? Damn!"

Melanie was growing up, but there was still an awful lot of little girl in her. Girlfriend at her side or not, Melanie still worried. Bridget realized what was going on. She put her hand gently on Melanie's knee.

"Honey, I think I know what's going on here…"

Megan had a smart mouth. The words themselves would be hurtful if they weren't taken in the context of the moment.

"Is it any surprise that her people are so far ahead of us in education?"

Melanie flushed, hurt and embarrassed.

"MEGAN!"

Bridget smirked. She saw the humor in Megan's snarky comment.

"…And is it any surprise that _your people_ allow us to excel, with your low test scores?"

Both Melanie and Megan laughed. They were bonding, in a strange sort of way. Bridget smiled, casting a long look in Megan's direction.

"Hey, you know… seriously… thanks…"

The Women's CFC Champion smiled broadly, looking very much like a red-headed Shelby.

"Ain't no thing, Kid… the coming out thing's rough. Just know I'm here if you need a friend – or a beard."

Melanie decided to get in on the fun.

"Technically, she'd need a boy for that… which you aren't, even though you have the muscles…"

Megan smirked at the quiet version of her girlfriend.

"You're such a dork… now let's go…"

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Ashley was lounging on the sofa as the door opened.

"About damn time!"

Megan folded the brash blonde into a tight hug.

"Hey, you! Just a little girl-talk…"

Ashley knew it was a line of crap, but it was fun, nonetheless. She looked to her sister.

"Why the hell are you glowing?"

Melanie pointed meekly in Bridget's direction. Ashley grinned. For all her rough, tomboyish exterior, she was a girly-girl at heart. She loved her sister. She'd never come out and say that she loved her, but the twins knew how their thing worked. They didn't need to say the words. They just knew.

"So I got the 'rents out of the house for the night for you guys…"

It was a matter-of-fact statement, but Melanie was having a hard time comprehending.

"You…wait…Huh?"

Ashley playfully tousled her sister's pretty blonde hair. She greeted her sister with baby-talk, hoping that would simplify things.

"Mommy… Mama… Bye-bye… All alone…"

Melanie play-slapped her sister's hand.

"You're so stupid sometimes, but I love you…"

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

Megan had popped for pizza and the girls cuddled together on the sofa, couple to couple. Megan was holding court, as usual, despite the fact that she was also chewing a large slice of cheese pizza. Ashley thought nothing of it. It was normal for her.

"So…ya know…" Megan began, "…this is actually kinda nice…"

Ashley's head rested in Megan's lap, against her rippled, muscular stomach. The blonde spoke gently. Her sister and the little Asian girl thought that it was odd, but that was okay; they never truly got to be themselves together – it was always school or their parents or something else going on, where they had to pretend that they were something other than they were. The point was, at least in Ashley's mind, that they were all here now. She didn't want to antagonize her sister all of the time. They were the same. They had begun life the same. They were one. She spoke sweetly in her sister's direction.

"Hey Sweety?"

Both Megan and Melanie turned.

"No, Babe… my sister…"

Megan pouted.

"Mel, look, I… ya know… I know we don't spend as much time together as we should, but…"

Melanie knew. It was the 'twin thing' they had going.

"Ash, stop… I told you before, it's okay…"

Ashley sighed.

"Look, I got Mom to take Mama out because I wanted you guys to have time just to chill…

Melanie interrupted.

"I know, and I appreciate that, Honey, but… but right now, I just want to spend time with Bridget, you, and that big ox you call a girlfriend…"

Megan glared at her. She knew Melanie was teasing. At the last second, Megan broke into a broad smile. All was well in Puckett Land.

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

Despite their differences, this wasn't like school. They were fine. Melanie cozied up to Bridget against the arm of the sofa. Ashley lounged in Megan's arms, much the way Carly did with Sam. She was tired, but the fighter's strong arms were comforting. She was dozing off, but she tried to talk just the same. The words came out with the incoherence of sleep. Megan loved it.

"Babe… I… you're… the best…"

Megan planted a kiss in the midst of fly-away blonde hair.

"C'mon, Kid… it's time to go to bed…"

Ashley tried to fight, but she felt herself sinking into the redhead's arms. Megan scooped her up, helping the sleepy girl to her feet.

"C'mon… bed's just this way… just a few more minutes, Big Girl…"

Megan babied her, just as she always did. In their relationship, Ashley was Megan's little Space Cheerleader. She led the blonde down the hall.

"Almost time for bed…"

This was a side that the prizefighter would show no one. Nobody needed to know that she was Ashley Puckett's big marshmallow. She led the pretty blonde down the hall and to bed. She was happy. The pretty blonde girl rocked her world. Ashley Puckett made her heart skip a beat and had since before they could walk. Megan had loved her since the day that Wendy held her up to the glass at the Seattle University Medical Center. The fighter held her partner gently and loosely about the waist. The beautiful girl was quickly becoming dead weight. She nudged the door with her boot. Depositing the pretty blonde in bed, Megan was content. She casually kicked off her boots and collapsed next to her. It had been a long night, but she would have it no other way. Her love was right there next to her and the nerds were asleep on the living room sofa, dozing during some old detective movie from the thirties. They were weird, but they belonged together in their own way. Before her eyes got too heavy, Megan rolled slightly, kissing Ashley gently.

"Sleep tight, honey… I love you…"


	9. iPonder

**iPonder**

Melanie woke up with a start and, for a second, didn't realize where she was. She was having one of her mother's panic attacks until it dawned on her that she was tucked neatly into the guest bed with Bridget Xi by her side. She clutched at the tiny Asian girl desperately, stirring her out of a sound sleep. It was just past two o'clock in the morning.

"Mel…" Bridget yawned, "What is it?..."

Melanie kissed her on the cheek before responding.

"Honey, I… nightmare… forgot… how did we get in here, anyway?"

Bridget kissed the little blonde as innocently and innocuously as possible before turning on her hip.

"Shhh…. Your parents probably brought us in here… get some sleep…"

Melanie shivered under the covers. Bridget snuggled close, fussing at the pretty blonde.

"Oh, C'mere already…" Bridget pulled Melanie to her, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

The tiny blonde let herself be held. She was exhausted and Bridget's embrace was gentle and soothing, like a warm bath. All was right again as she drifted off, the monster of her nightmares slain by a tiny woman, barely ninety pounds soaking wet.

Bridget gently caressed Melanie's long blonde locks. She loved Melanie Puckett more than she could put into words. The blonde girl stirred again, not yet fully asleep.

"…but your mother…"

Bridget knew they both didn't need to discuss this right now.

"Shhh… She's in denial…"

Carly and Sam's little girl was nearly out cold, but Bridget heard something that sounded funny.

"…river in Utah…"

Melanie giggled like she was a little girl again, even though Bridget didn't quite understand why. She kissed Melanie gently on the forehead. This would all be over here and now. They could discuss things later, when they were all more fully awake.

"Shhh… Sleepy time now…"

Bridget cradled the blonde girl in her arms gently. It was a wonderful feeling.

As Melanie lay there, dozing against her, Bridget Xi found her mind wandering. Would it always be like this? Would Melanie love her always and forever? Would First Love be eternal, as it had been for the Pucketts? In her heart, she believed it would, although she had her fears. She wanted her mother to be wrong. She wanted nothing more in the entire world than to spend her every waking moment with this woman, regardless of what her mother thought or her culture dictated. She wanted what she wanted, and would make no apologies for who or what she was. Her insides wanted to burst – they were so twisted up. She was conflicted. She loved her mother, her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins dearly, but she knew they didn't understand… except for her cousin Benny. He understood her completely. She wondered if the rest of the family knew that her big, strong cousin, a senior across town at Briarwood Academy, liked boys as much as he liked girls. It wasn't her place to say, but it felt good to have someone who truly understood her.

Melanie's breathing was steady and deep against her chest. Bridget loved that sound, the sound Melanie Puckett made when completely contented. It burrowed its way into her brain and made her desire sleep again. It took a few long moments, but Bridget was finally comfortable enough to rest. She laid her head as close to Melanie's as she could and allowed her eyes to fall shut. It had been a long, trying day and all she wanted now was the peace that came with Melanie Elizabeth Puckett at her side. Life was good again.

_**FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING…**_

Sam was ready for work. She checked in on the girls that she had put to bed only hours earlier. They looked so cozy there together. Sam chuckled. They were sweet together. She was happy for them, no matter the earful she gave Carly every morning over their girls' love lives. It didn't matter how she felt, Carly was right.

Sam looked on from the doorway, both amused and nervous at what she saw. There, in the guest bed, this little girl was cozied up to her daughter the very same way that Carly slept with her in their own bed. Thankfully, however, these two were fully dressed, otherwise, Mama Puckett would've gone absolutely ballistic. She loved her babies dearly, and she was happy they'd found happiness, however, the notion of defending their girly honor was still engrained in who Sam was.

Carly was wide awake now, too. She quietly filed past Sam in the hall, pausing only to peer over her shoulder and playfully slap her for invading their daughter's privacy.

"Oh, Samantha, please… they're both fully dressed… it's not like they _did anything_… I'm going to make coffee…"

Sam chuckled to herself. Carly was right, they were being completely innocent, though she knew that the day would come when her girls ventured into that realm that Sam wanted to deny existed. To her, her girls were still little girls. It was this feeling, along with her friendship with Shelby Marx, which had caused Sam to pester Carly incessantly with questions of another shot at parenthood. Last night marked the dozenth time that Sam had broached the topic, Carly humoring her again. The brunette had to admit that it was something they both considered do-able, even in their mid-thirties.

Sam's other daughter rubber-necked around her, on the way from the twins' bedroom to the bathroom. Her daughter's voice brought Sam out of her head and back to the present.

"What are you doing up?"

"Gotta pee, Jeez… Are the nerds in trouble or something?"

"Mind your business and no, they're not…"

"Damn… grounded nerds would've made my week…"

Sam turned, smiling briefly. She didn't want to favor one child over the other, but Ashley had always taken after her. She was a tiny version of Sam.

"That _was_ funny, but go do what you gotta go do and get back into bed… even if it's with that redhead…"

"_Mama_…" Ashley whined.

Sam smirked.

"I like her just fine… just don't grow up too fast…"

Ashley wandered off toward the bathroom.

"Love you too…"

_**LATER THAT MORNING, AT A DEAD QUIET IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

Sam and Carly made small talk over a bagel and coffee. They relished the time alone, as the girls had gone off on their own.

"Sam, about the other night…"

"Look, Carls… I get it… believe me, I understand… I blame myself…"

"Sam, stop…"

This is what they'd done, of late. Sam and Carly went back and forth, blaming themselves. What had started as Carly's innocent musing had now given way to Sam Puckett's all-consuming obsession. The blonde took her partner's hand across the table.

"Cupcake, look… our babies are almost grown and we won't have any others…"

Carly blushed, smiling slightly.

"…Not without a miracle…"

Sam playfully swatted Carly's hand.

"Carls, seriously…"

The brunette laughed. She adored her blonde best friend. Like the wine locked away in Carmine's cellar, Sam got better with age.

"Sam, are you serious about this? We said we'd talk about it – just _talk_…"

Sam's jaw unclenched. There was no hiding the fact that she was nervous.

"Serious as a buttersock to the face… I mean… c'mon, Carls… okay, fine… so Wendy and Shelby've gotten me thinking…"

Carly felt the tiniest twinge of panic in her stomach. The combination of Sam Puckett, Shelby Marx, and _'thinking'_ couldn't possibly be a good thing.


	10. iTransfer Student

**iTransfer Student**

Monday morning at Ridgeway was interesting, to say the least. What had started out as a fairly normal day got rather curious just before lunch. During Spanish class, what Senora Moya asked Melanie came across as rather strange indeed.

"Senorita Puckett…"

Melanie couldn't help but blush whenever she was spoken to in class. It felt weird. It felt like she was being lectured by a tanned, girly version of Uncle Freddie. She knew that her teacher had just caught her staring at Bridget again. She couldn't help it. Bridget looked exceptionally adorable today.

Senora Moya, knowing all too well the feelings swimming through Melanie's head, purposely changed course.

"Senorita Xi?"

Bridget blushed.

The pretty woman, originally from South America, spoke to the Asian girl in English.

"Tell the class something about yourself, _en Espanol_…"

Bridget blushed. She was shy by nature, except around those closest to her. Her voice came out a hesitant whisper.

"Um… uh… um… _me gustan las chicas?_"

Bridget saw her teacher smirk and her girlfriend flush beet red. Melanie was beyond embarrassed.

_**MOMENTS LATER, DURING INDEPENDENT STUDY TIME…**_

Melanie whispered to her, lecturing her in that loving way she usually did.

"Of anything you could've said… you had to say _'I like the girls'?_"

Bridget blushed.

"I'm sorry… it was the only thing in my head…"

Melanie couldn't believe it.

"The only thing in your head was _'Me gustan las chicas'_?"

Bridget couldn't help herself. She giggled.

"Sorry, honey…"

Melanie knew she couldn't stay angry. That face made it impossible.

"It's okay… I just… nevermind…"

The girls' fingers tangled together between their desks. Nobody was paying attention anyway.

_**ELSEWHERE IN RIDGEWAY HIGH…**_

Her schedule said that she belonged in English class, but Ashley Puckett had decided that it was better to lounge around in Megan Marx's arms in the student union. Normally, it would've taken a bit of work to sneak into the union, but, being a twin, Ashley had simply _'borrowed'_ her sister's ID. The fact that it was without the little nerd's knowledge was immaterial.

She tried to play the hard-ass, much like her Mama always had, but the truth was that Ashley Grace Puckett – the light of Megan Marx's life – was a soft little daffodil when you really got down to it.

"Megan, I'm not arguing with you anymore…"

The champion fighter held the pretty blonde close, not caring that they were in school. She loved Ashley more than she could put into words. She found herself fighting a smile.

"C'mon, Kid… it's no big thing, but I just think it's weird…"

"It's not weird, she's pregnant…"

"I know… but still…

Ashley knew she was getting nowhere. Megan wouldn't give an inch, it wasn't in her nature. Ashley tried to laugh it off.

"Come on, Champ…"

Megan tickled the back of Ashley's neck. They had to have a little bit of fun. She smiled.

"Alright… Maybe I overreacted a bit…"

"Ya think?"

Ashley laughed. Megan was having a hard time with Shelby being pregnant. She was the center of her parents' collective world for sixteen years and now they had to go and have another kid, completely throwing the family dynamic out of whack. It wasn't that Megan was jealous of her as-yet-unborn sibling, she just questioned her place in the hierarchy of her family. This was where Ashley came in. She tried to hold Megan's hand throughout the whole ordeal, but she sometimes thought that running headfirst into the wall would've been easier. Ashley returned to their shared cheese pizza.

"Ya know, Sweety…"

Megan shot her a look.

"We're _in school!"_

"_Yeah…_like they don't already know we're kinda queer…"

Megan playfully slapped her girlfriend on the hand. That word had always bothered her, despite the somewhat empowering, self-identifying way her own community used it.

"Ash…"

"… What I was saying was why don't we go out this weekend – take the nerds with us – and just unwind…"

Ashley Puckett's goal was two-fold. She wanted time with her sister for starters, and anything that she could do to keep Megan's mind off of her upcoming title defense, the better. She truly was a daffodil.

Megan's hand dropped into Ashley's lap, out of view.

"That's cool… I know I've been difficult to live with lately…"

Ashley brushed a strand of red hair away from Megan's face.

"Stop… you know I'm used to it by now…"

Megan smirked. Only her girlfriend could tell her she loved her and that she was being stupid in the very same breath. Her life was good.

_**AFTER SCHOOL…**_

Bridget and Melanie filed quietly into what was typically their AP English classroom and slid into seats at the back of the room. They were among friends here.

Melanie noticed that there was a new girl here, clinging to Miss Merrow's hip, awkward and shy. She knew that she wasn't the shy, awkward type, but it was the awkward shyness that came with being the new kid in school. She had heard the hallway rumors. All she knew about this new chick was that she had just moved here from Vancouver and that she had lunch the same time she and Bridget did.

"Everyone, this is Angel… She just moved here from Vancouver…"

The pretty new girl clearly had a thing for the color black. If one were shooting for a particular style here, the girl called Angel looked like anything but. She was most definitely a goth.

The new girl surveyed the room, looking for an empty chair. She found none, until Bridget offered her a seat at the back table, where she and Melanie sat. Miss Merrow began talking to the group. This was the group's typical meeting – directly after school on Mondays.

"So… anyone have any news they want to share since last time?"

The voice that spoke up wasn't a student's. It was the voice of Ridgeway's Spanish teacher, who, coincidentally, had been Miss Merrow's partner for the past two decades. The gorgeous South American woman spoke with a hint of laughter in her voice, as though what she had to share was private, but the most adorable thing in the world.

"I asked my kids to share something about themselves in class today… and one of my students said that they liked the girls…"

Amid the cacophony of _'Awws'_, the two adults in the room shared a knowing look. Ashley Puckett secretly thought it was sweet, though she told Megan she thought she was going to hurl.

In the back of the classroom, Bridget Xi blushed. Melanie didn't mind so much anymore. Everyone here already knew, besides which, she'd made a new friend.


	11. iPlay Games

**iPlay Games**

That night was Family Game Night. Though typically reserved for the four of them, sometimes the six of them, including Megan and Bridget, tonight was different. Carly fussed at Sam from the kitchen, acting ever-so-much like the hostess.

"Samantha, please… it doesn't need to be… oh, dammit, they'll be here any second!"

The twins couldn't help but laugh. There was something funny about their mother cursing. That typically meant that Carly was so whipped up as to be incapable of making sense.

Megan Marx popped a corn chip into her mouth, crunching loudly.

" 'a know, your parents fighting is more entertaining than mine…"

Melanie shot her twin sister a cross, yet somewhat sad look.

"What…?" Ashley begged.

Melanie continued, matter-of-factly.

"I just don't know how you do it… What on Earth is so appealing about… this… _Neanderthal_?"

Melanie didn't _really_ think that Megan Marx was a Neanderthal. She was a nice girl when you really got down to it, albeit a girl who seemed to contradict herself at every turn, which left the quiet, analytical Puckett girl thoroughly confused. She saw taut, rippling muscles, which made her brain say _'Boy'_, but she also saw pretty, soft, gentle curves, which, overwhelmingly, made her brain scream _'Girl'_. Melanie rephrased, repeating herself.

"I honestly don't get it…"

Ashley smirked.

"What can I say? She does weird things to me…"

The color drained out of Melanie's face. She was such a girl.

"Um…. Ewwww! MOM! Ash's being gross again…!"

Carly chimed in in that motherly tone.

"Ashley Grace Puckett! Watch your mouth!"

The doorbell rang. Carly cursed again. Again, her daughters found it hilarious.

"Damn! Sam, get the door, would you please, Honey?"

Carly laid it on thick. Sam chuckled, wiping her hands on her jeans. She reached the door and twisted the knob. The door flew open to reveal Wendy and Shelby Marx. Sam beamed. It seemed like ages since she'd seen her friend, the former champion. She greeted them, in turn, with hugs and polite kisses on the cheek. It was just the way she was. She figured she'd picked it up from Uncle Carmine.

"Whoa… you're lookin'…. Uh…."

Sam searched for the right words.

"Carls…."

Carly blushed. Sam, though wonderful, could be so socially awkward when pushed outside of her comfort zone. Carly finished her love's sentence.

"… What she means is that you're 'very much in a family way'…"

Sam blushed.

"Yeah, what Carls said…"

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Megan felt uncomfortable. She was sandwiched between her parents and her girlfriend. It felt awkward. She rested between her girlfriend and Shelby's expanding stomach. She flushed. The pretty blonde girl patted her leg.

"Hun, I love you, but you're being ridiculous…"

Paying half-hearted attention to her daughter's conversation, Wendy laughed.

"My daughter? Ridiculous? You don't say…"

Shelby gave Wendy a playful swat.

"Wen… be nice…"

Ashley smiled.

"Missus Marx, I'm sorry, but, she's just so headstrong…"

Wendy smirked.

"Oh honey, welcome to my world…"

Shelby chuckled, only to feel a swift kick to her midsection. She complained, looking straight at Carly.

"How did you tolerate that for nine months?"

Carly was about to answer when Wendy jumped in. It was uncharacteristic of her, but she was on a roll.

"Try sharing a bed with you for over fifteen years…"

Carly smirked in Sam's direction, but said nothing. The teenagers began to laugh amongst themselves, while Melanie made the word '_Noises'_ on the _Scrabble _board, building off of the E in the word _'Sheep'_. This, in turn, led her sister to build the world _'Pride'_ off of the letter P. Sam shot them a series of strange looks. She looked from her girls to Carly to Shelby to Wendy and back to Carly.

"Uh, Cupcake…?"

Carly knew, without Sam even needing to ask. She interjected, directing her comments to Ashley and Megan.

"Could you guys… the four of you…uh…."

Ashley sounded ever-so-much like a younger version of Sam.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it… get outta here because the _adults_ need to talk… it's not like we're five anymore…"

Sam glared at her. That kind of talk wasn't tolerated in her house. The look said it all. _'You are so f*&king grounded…'_.

Ashley got the hint.

"Sorry… We'll be in our room…"

Carly smirked.

"Door open?"

"Yes maam…"

_**DOWN THE HALL, IN THE TWINS' BEDROOM…**_

Megan cuddled with Ashley on her bed while Bridget and Melanie chattered amongst themselves. Ashley was obviously concerned about something.

"This is just so _damn_ unfair! We're almost grown and they – …"

Melanie interrupted her twin.

"Oh, _do shut up_! They obviously wanted to talk to Megan's parents for a reason… and it's really not our business…"

"Not our business? Not our business!"

Melanie continued, unconcerned.

"You can be such a drama queen sometimes… Yes… What our parents do in their private time is none of our concern…"

Bridget blushed and Megan gawked. It was clear that they both had the very same idea. Bridget articulated her concerns quietly. It made Melanie smile.

"Uh… it isn't really my business, but… that's… kinda… a little gross…"

Melanie rapped the dainty Asian girl across the fingers. It was clear that she didn't understand.

"Shush… it's not like that…"

Ashley buried her head in Megan's chest, embarrassed.

Melanie continued, not embarrassed in the slightest.

"I think it's sweet… if they wanna have another baby, I think that's awesome…"

Ashley turned to her sister, in shock. She was _not_ prepared to hear that.

"If they _WHAT?"_

"What do you think they've been doing late at night for the past three weeks?"

Ashley blushed furiously.

"Oh…My…God! You've been listening?"

"Ewww, No, you horndog! If you wouldn't spend every night with…with… That One…" Melanie swished her hand dismissively in Megan's direction. "…you might learn something around here…"

"So how's that gonna work? They aren't as young as Springtime no more…"

Melanie gave her sister the Nerd Look of Death. If Mel weren't Carly and Sam's good girl and looks could kill, Megan Marx would've been a widow.

"Oh, for the love of Cryin' Out Loud! Mommy said something about adopting the other night…"

Ashley was stunned. It took a moment to process.

"Ad…dop…why?"

Melanie decided to show a little Nerd Love and give her sister _'The Talk'_. She had a flair for the dramatic, which, in this case, certainly helped.

"_Well…_" Melanie began. She was having fun with this. "…you see, when two people love each other very, very much…"

The looks on Bridget's and Ashley's faces were nearly identical, but for very different reasons. Both crinkled up their noses. On Bridget, it was adorable. On her sister, Melanie thought it was weird and disconcerting. Megan simply laughed. This was priceless.

The girls laughed amongst themselves. They loved each other in their own ways. They would never say so in public, but here was different. Here, they could be the best of friends. Melanie smiled to her sister.

"Relax, you worry too much… besides which, that big strong chick over there will protect you, Cupcake…"

Ashley flushed.

"You're such a dork…"


	12. iChallenge Authority

**iChallenge Authority**

The next week was, well, awkward. Ashley thought it was weird, and coming from her, that was saying something. The Nerds had made a new little nerd-friend, that little goth chick that had just moved from Canada, and it struck Ashley as odd. She told Megan so over smoothies after school.

"I dunno, it's just weird, Meg… I mean, they deserve somebody to go on their little dates with and whatever, but this chick's just… _whatever_…"

Megan blushed, attempting not to look overly girly.

"Stop… She's a little different, but she seems like a nice chick… besides, she's into girls too, so what's the big thing?"

Ashley was flustered.

"_Whatever…_ they're just… she's weird and strangely hot, if you like quiet little nerds… not as hot as you, though…"

Megan laughed.

"Chill, I get what you mean… but you're still being a dork about it…"

Megan Marx gently stroked her girlfriend's loose blonde curls – nobody would say anything to her about it anyway – sometimes, it paid to be lethal. She loved Ashley just as she was and she wanted the blonde girl to know it.

"Look, Hun…"

Ashley bristled, speaking through gritted teeth.

"Shhh… _in public…_"

Megan chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever… look, I get that you love the little nerd and you worry about her an' stuff…"

Ashley misread the situation.

"…She's my sister, Megan…"

Megan smiled broadly, showing off pretty white teeth, none of them, thankfully, collateral damage to her sport.

"Well, duh, I know that… I just mean that you worry unnecessarily. She's, like, the quiet one. With that little Asian puppy dog following her around all the time, what kind of trouble could they get into, really?"

Ashley shot the fighter a cautious look before reaching to her plate and feeding the pretty redhead an onion ring instead.

"I love you, but sometimes you can be so thick in the head…"

Megan didn't care. She had her pretty blonde girl. She had food. Could it get any better?

_**ACROSS TOWN…**_

The irony of this moment wasn't lost on pretty Melanie Puckett. She and Bridget were hanging out at Angel's place, which was, ironically, on the fifth floor of the Bushwell Plaza – three floors below what was her mother's childhood bedroom.

Angel Ferguson kept reassuring her friend, who, until five minutes ago, had been a gorgeous little blonde. Her hair was now accented with vibrant fuchsia highlights. She had decided to rebel against authority.

Bridget giggled across the room. She thought her girlfriend was being foolish.

"Sweety, It's… I like it…"

Melanie still hadn't had the courage to look into the mirror. She'd kept her eyes shut through the entire process, she'd been too nervous. When she finally did, she yelped, sounding a bit like her mother, during one of her _'episodes'_.

"Holy Chizz, my Mom'll kill me!"

Bridget giggled.

"Honey, it's not so bad…"

Melanie had no idea what to say or do. Her hair was _fucking purple._ Bridget blushed. She'd taken Angel's advice herself and gotten much more liberal with her makeup than her mother typically allowed. Melanie gawked at her girlfriend, her pretty china-doll features accented by thick swathes of black eyeliner and lipstick. It was new and outside of what was otherwise normal, but Melanie found it strangely appealing.

"_Damn, Girl_…" she said. It was all she could say.

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

The front door opened slowly and gently, the way that Melanie usually did when coming home from school, Bridget's, or anywhere for that matter. Ashley would try to sneak into the house unseen, while Melanie would always use the front door, quiet as a mouse.

The rail-thin little girl wasn't the same one Sam and Carly had packed off to Ridgeway High that morning. Sam had only one recourse.

"CARLYYYYY!"

The brunette came running, immediately panic-stricken, fearing that Mama was now missing a finger. Her words came out a mile a minute.

"_WhatsthematterSam_?"

Sam pointed to the front door.

Carly's eyes went wide, but she wasn't as whipped up as Sam was. To the contrary, Carly was reserved by comparison. She turned to Sam instead, shrugging her shoulders in defeat.

"So she has purple hair... Is it ideal? No… "

Sam interrupted.

"But Carls…."

The brunette spoke up, cutting her wife off. She knew that Sam meant well, but overreacting now and grounding their straight-A, 'good girl' to prove a point.

"Sam…"

It was Carly's whiney, somewhat upset voice. Sam knew better than to push the issue. Carly looked to her daughter with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, _this_ _is new_…"

"Mommy, I…"

Melanie was nervous. She was like Carly in a lot of respects. She was shaking like a leaf, but it was all on the inside.

Carly reassured her. She tried to be the mom she wished she'd been fortunate enough to have.

"Relax… Sweety… breathe… Look, you're not in trouble…"

"I'm not?"

Carly shot a look in Sam's direction before returning to her daughter's gaze. The look she gave her partner of twenty years said it all. It said _'Just let this drop, Samantha… Fight the battles worth fighting…'_.

"Sweety, you know how Mama can get…"

This was Sam's cue to jump in. She was a nervous wreck for a number of reasons. She was overworked, but she knew that didn't excuse her short fuse.

"Look… I… uh, yeah… Mom's right, I'm sorry…"

Melanie blushed, taking Bridget by the hand and finally left the doorway.

"It's okay, Mama…"

Watching the girls walk past, Sam turned to Carly with a look of abject shock on her face.

"Cupcake, that makeup…"

Carly hugged Sam close, giving her a playful squeeze.

"Sam, they're teenagers… they're just pushing boundaries… don't you remember…?"

Sam blinked at her, beautiful blue eyes sparkling. Carly continued.

"Oh, yeah, that's right… you're Sam Puckett… Your whole life was challenging authority…"

Sam took no offense. She'd known Carly nearly her entire life. She'd always been her Cupcake. Her Cupcake was trying to tease her – pick a play-fight.

"Yeah, well, you've always been a sweet little Cupcake, Cupcake…"

Carly leaned close, whispering in Sam's ear.

"Yeah, well, you'll always be my sweet little _daffodil_…"

Sam blushed. She didn't want that being public knowledge.

Carly's lips found Sam's neck, leaving the blonde with a gentle love bite. The tone of Carly's voice got Sam instantly whipped up. She needed the blonde to know what was coming at their earliest possible opportunity.

"You're mine, Sam… Remember that…"


	13. iLocked Doors

**iLocked Doors**

Carly rested her head against Sam's bare chest. It had been a long, trying day, but Carly had always found safety in Sam. She exhaled deeply, talking to Sam, but staring toward the ceiling.

"Honey…"

Sam knew. Sam _always_ knew.

"I know, Cupcake… it was just as amazing for me…"

It was most definitely true, and they both needed this tonight. If nothing else, Carly needed Sam Puckett to turn her insides into warmth and sweetness and everything that came from Sam finding Carly's happy place. The brunette exhaled again.

"Honey, I love you so much…"

Sam chuckled.

"I know, Carls…"

Carly blushed. They'd been together _forever_, but it had never felt boring. Life with Sam Puckett was always an adventure. They lay there in bed chit-chatting away, as though it was the most normal thing in the world to do after making love. The truth of the matter was that it _was_ the most normal thing in the world for them to do. The unbridled passion of their teens and twenties was still there, although they'd refined it over the years – learned to control it. Sam and Carly were still head-over-heels crazy for one another, but with teenagers, there was a time and a place for hot, steamy rip-your-clothes off passion, and that time was when the house was empty. It wasn't tonight. Tonight, their kids slept down the hall, with their own better halves taking up half the room on their respective beds, Carly reasoned. She kissed Sam's bare navel.

"Honey, I…"

"I know, Carls, you've been _thinking_... I have too…"

Sam had been saying for months that her biological clock was ticking away loudly and that she relished being _'Mama'_ in their little family, beating Carly over the head with the idea that she wanted to try again.

Carly was hesitant for all of the right reasons – their mid-thirties was no time to try to have another baby, seeing as she'd already brought two beautiful girls into the world years ago.

"Sam, I just don't know about that…"

"C'mon, Carls, Wendy and Shelby are due in… how long is it again?"

Shelby Marx was due in a matter of weeks, her stomach expanding by the day.

"If she makes it to November, Sam, that'd be a miracle…"

Sam flushed. The idea of Shelby Marx doing…_that_… was, frankly, astounding. Carly argued her point even further.

"Sam, _look…_" Carly was tired and her insides had settled back to what was normal, blind passion subsiding, giving way to logic and reason. Carly adored Sam, but she didn't feel like discussing it much tonight.

"…we've talked this to death… let's just get some sleep, okay?"

The fact was that they _hadn't_ talked the topic of children to death – _not tonight_ – tonight, they'd made mad, passionate love like they hadn't in ages. It felt amazing to reconnect that way – physically and emotionally – recharging their souls. It wasn't as though they'd fallen _out_ of love by any stretch of the imagination; it was simply that work, life, and teenagers simply got in the way.

_**MEANWHILE, NEXT DOOR…**_

Freddie Benson kissed his wife's neck, his mouth going immediately to the place that made her melt. She was tired; it had been a very long day. The tone of his voice told Melanie exactly what was on his mind.

"Melanie, it's been…"

The pretty blonde loved the feeling coursing through her body at the moment, but was resolute.

"It's been a week and a half, and the children are barely in bed…"

"They've had _The Talk_…"

Melanie flushed furiously.

"_Freddie…._ They're down the hall!"

Freddie Benson ignored his beautiful wife's protests, instead kissing the spot on Melanie's neck the same way he had for years. Melanie whined.

"_Honey…_ stop… they're… right down… _Oh, dammit, who the hell cares…?"_

Melanie Benson gave in. She let herself become the object of her husband's desires, not because he was particularly persuasive, but because she'd denied her own needs for longer than she'd cared to admit. She rolled on her hip and turned closer to Freddie. She loved him dearly. She had denied him and denied herself for far too long. She was simply used to working.

"Baby, I'm so sorry…" Melanie apologized in a rushed breath, her mind obviously on other things.

"Mel, stop… it's okay…"

"No, it's not… I shouldn't have…"

"Mel, Honey… stop…"

Freddie kissed her deeply. He was more forceful than was usual, but Melanie figured this was her own fault. He knew he needed to give her a chance to win the argument.

Melanie playfully bit his lip. Freddie should know better. This would be Melanie's way or no way at all – she was a Puckett after all.

_**A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY…**_

Shelby and Wendy cuddled in bed, the redhead gently caressing her partner's stomach.

"Shelby, this is _so_ exciting… is this how you felt the first time around?"

Shelby grinned.

"Something like this, except without the cramping…"

Wendy scoffed.

"You know what I mean, Shelby!"

Shelby knew very well. She wanted a new little person in their family as badly as Wendy did. She knew Megan was uncomfortable with the whole prospect, but Shelby knew the reason. You couldn't blame Megan for her feelings, truly. For sixteen years, she'd been the center of attention and the star at the center of Wendy and Shelby's collective world. This was a huge paradigm shift.

"Wendy, ya know, the kid's been great about this, all things considered…"

The redhead blushed.

"Yeah, she had two people raise her well. I just wish she didn't spend all that time at Carly and Sam's… that's a huge imposition…"

Shelby's fingers caught Wendy's, now dancing over Shelby's navel.

"Wen, don't you think Sam and Carly would've put bars on the windows by now if they wanted to keep her out?"

Wendy Marx smirked. Her daughter was hard-headed as the day was long, but she got that wonderful personality trait from precious, obstinate Shelby. There was no changing her now.

"You're right, Honey… you're right… you're always right…"

Shelby chuckled.

"Am not… just about this…"

This was the playful before-bed banter of the Marx household. They were content together.

"Shelby… it's bedtime…"

The former champion simply smiled. This was her lot in life.

"Yes, Dear…"

_**BACK AT CARLY AND SAM'S…**_

Ashley Puckett was happy, but couldn't sleep, even with Megan pressed against her. She shot a glance across the room, to the bed where her sister lay sleeping. It was weird seeing _That Girl_ there, in her sister's bed, even though she'd grown up spending the night here. Tonight was different. She noticed that Bridget's dainty little fingers held Melanie extra close tonight, dipping below the covers every so often. It was weird, but on the other hand, it seemed perfectly normal. Nothing was more normal to Ashley than Megan Marx. For the little nerd, this little Asian girl meant the world. Ashley rolled on her hip, trying to close the minute gap between her and Megan, all the while pretending she didn't see what little Bridget Xi was up to. She knew that there were fights worth having, but this wasn't one of them.


	14. iGrow Up

**iGrow Up**

That Monday marked the beginning of a very hectic week at Ridgeway High. It wasn't, of course, hectic for the entire school, just four sophomore girls in particular. The Puckett sisters were busy planning their Halloween costume party, Megan was paranoid over the birth of her new sibling, and Bridget Xi was nervous and panicky over her impending stage debut.

For the past twelve weeks, she'd been rehearsing one of her girlfriend's favorite plays. The Seattle Community Theatre was putting on _Jesus Christ Superstar_, under the direction of acclaimed New York actor Kurt Hummel, who had taken a year's sabbatical from his own career to relocate to the West Coast. Bridget was nervous as all-get-out that morning, standing at Melanie's locker.

"_OhmyGod…_ our first performance is this weekend and I don't know if I'm good enough… Kurt says…"

Melanie interrupted her with a sigh and a gentle flick of her finger. It was the sort of thing she'd do to her sister, but this made sense. Her finger grazed Bridget's dainty little nose and the petite Korean girl immediately stopped talking.

"What was that for?"

"Just hush a second… You'll do just fine… and besides, my aunt knows him… they're friends… sort of… You know you can do this… just chill…"

Bridget blushed. She knew she was going just the slightest bit manic.

"Sorry… I just…"

Melanie ducked in close and snuck a peck onto the pretty girl's cheek.

"It's okay… you'll do fine… just chill…"

Bridget flushed a delightfully adorable shade of raspberry. Melanie smiled and continued talking.

"Oh, and honey?"

Bridget giggled.

"Yeah?"

Melanie decided to sneak another kiss.

"Relax… I love you…"

Before Bridget could form an articulate response, the moment was broken by the galumphing of Megan Marx. That redhead sure knew how to ruin a moment.

"'Sup, Nerds?"

Melanie muttered under her breath.

"What's that?"

"I said _Good Morning_…"  
>"Sure ya did, Kiddo… anyway, where's your sister? I gotta run, since it looks like my mom's ready to pop, and I could use a ride to the hospital."<p>

Melanie could see the flaw in the fighter's logic, but handled it delicately. She didn't want to get shoved in her locker like a wadded-up set of gym clothes.

"She's in the bathroom… Even twins have to go sometime… Megan… Mr. Gibson's not gonna let you just go…"

It was the last thing in the world that Melanie expected, but she saw it anyway. Megan Marx began to crumble from the inside. The pretty blonde saw Megan's bottom lip begin to quiver. She knew that Megan wasn't always a killing machine. Something had broken inside of her. She was terrified of missing the birth of her only sibling. Melanie reacted the only way she knew how – with care and precision.

"Megan, look… don't cry… it'll be okay, I promise… Let me call my mom…"

Megan Marx fought back tears. All of their childhood, she'd done nothing but tease, taunt, and generally torment this girl, solely for the sport of it. She didn't entirely understand, but she allowed the thin blonde girl to hold her anyway, not thinking about who might see. She muttered into Melanie's shoulder.

"Why are you being so good to me?"

Melanie kept her voice quiet in an attempt to shield Megan's public persona.

"Because you love my sister…"

Melanie looked over to Bridget. She didn't need to say a word. With a gentle nod, Melanie dispatched her dainty little girlfriend to the ladies' room in search of her big, strong twin sister. It was time to go.

_**ACROSS TOWN, IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

Sam Puckett's cell phone skittered across her desk. The Caller ID said that it was her youngest daughter. This scared Sam beyond words. It was barely eight A.M..

"What's the matter, Kiddo? Are you alright? Do I need to break somebody's head?"

Melanie reassured her Mama that all was well, more or less. She explained the situation quickly and allowed Sam to speak.

"Fine… all four of you… I'll be right there…"

Sam told Melanie she loved her and to be waiting for her. She ended the call and immediately began another. The phone rang quickly. She knew she had to jump through hoops first.

"Yeah, it's Sam Puckett… _**NO, you will NOT put me on hold…**_ I need to talk to him NOW…"

The line rang again, finally going through to her intended party.

"It's Sam, you little shirtless potato… I have to pick up my kids…and their… yeah… just no questions asked, okay? Look… You and Tasha will eat for free for a month… Fine… be there in twenty minutes…"

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Sam Puckett's van pulled away from Ridgeway High School, four teenage girls in tow. Reaching for her phone, she instinctively called Carly's cell.

"Hey, Cupcake, it's me… yeah, I just picked up the kids from school… Shelby's about to… ya know… Think you can meet us there?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Sam spoke again.

"I love you too, Carls… just breathe…"

This wasn't nearly as bad as usual, but Carly had gotten just whipped up enough to need a little gentle encouragement. This was what Sam was for. This was always what Sam was for.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Cupcake? You're sure? Okay, then I'll see you soon… Drive safe… I love you…"

On the other end of the line, Carly's breathing subsided. She grabbed her car keys and headed for the door.

_**MEANWHILE, AT SEATTLE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER…**_

Megan ran to Wendy as soon as she saw her. The two embraced fiercely, emotion taking over.

"Mom… is everything… I mean…"

Wendy smiled slightly, chuckling.

"You didn't miss anything… _but_… Mama did threaten to cause people bodily harm if they didn't give her drugs…"

Megan knew that childbirth was a painful proposition, but she still looked confused, as though something didn't _entirely _compute inside her brain. Wendy shrugged it off.

"Nevermind… just come here…"

Wendy held her daughter close. She wanted to savor a few minutes together while she could.

_**MEANWHILE, DOWN THE HALL…**_

Bridget Xi paced the floor nervously musically muttering to herself.

"Honey, what's the matter?"

"…_Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you and anoint you… myrrh for your hot forehead, don't you know Everything's alright, yes, Everything's fine, and I want you to sleep well tonight… let the world turn without you tonight…"_

It took Melanie Puckett a moment to realize that Bridget was singing to herself – from her opening number as Mary Magdalene in the Community Theater's production of _Jesus Christ Superstar , _on which the curtain was to go up in a few short days' time. The blonde snaked her arm around the other girl's tiny shoulders.

"You'll do fine…"

It was at this moment that Melanie saw her two other favorite people coming down the hallway – Auntie Melanie, trailed by half a step by her Uncle Freddie. The two blonde women embraced, giving each other the dainty, gentle kiss on the cheek that family reserved for family and that women of a certain pedigree reserved solely for each other.

"I missed you…"

Melanie was winded. She and Freddie had quite literally come running.

"I missed you too, Love… this business… it's brutal…"

Melanie glanced over to the tiny Korean girl. Bridget had been her student recently, taking private voice lessons from the famous musician. Mythical Melanie smiled, leaned close, and planted a gentle kiss on Bridget Xi's forehead.

"Why, hello, Dear… Butterflies?"

Carly's youngest jumped in, shooting her aunt a serious look.

"Just a touch…"

Bridget blushed, feeling the heat of embarrassment creep in. She was caught between her girlfriend and the woman who was most recently her teacher. She was embarrassed, and didn't know what to say. She wanted to sink into the floor. Melanie Benson touched the little Asian girl gently. No one could say that Sam Puckett's older sister was anything but compassionate.

"They're just butterflies… unless it's something else…"

Bridget knew exactly what Melanie Benson could see in her. She was emotionally spent. She held herself together. There was nothing in the world, so far as she was concerned, worse than having her girlfriend and her famous aunt watch her fall to pieces like this – all in public, no less. She could bend, but she wasn't about to break. Not today. Not after what had gone on in her home. She wouldn't give her mother the satisfaction of ruining her moment.

Bridget stuffed her sadness down deep into the pit of her stomach. This ended here. She let her head loll gently onto Melanie Puckett's shoulder. She was warm and safe again. The quiet little blonde made everything better again. Bridget smiled. She felt more like herself again.

"Come on… we can't miss all the fun…"

Melanie smiled. It was good to have her girlfriend back.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Megan Marx wanted to be in the room, but she just couldn't – _not right now_. She paced, followed on her heels by Carly and Sam's oldest.

"Sweety, it's… come on… everything's perfectly okay… this is perfectly normal…"

Their conversation was cut off by Wendy Marx cursing a blue streak at Shelby. That too was normal.

Megan shot Ashley Puckett a serious look.

"Ash, I'm serious as a heart attack here… if you ever do that to me… I swear… I'm breakin' your hand…"

Ashley smirked. She knew Megan was all talk, just like her own Mama.

"Sure, Honey… sure you will…"


	15. iCircle The Wagons

**iCircle the Wagons**

Megan was readjusting to life over the next few days – her first as a big sister. It was foreign to her.

"Relax, you weirdo…"

Melanie Puckett was relishing the ability to harass the fighter unchallenged. Megan actually no longer cared. She knew it was all in playful, good-natured fun. She smiled.

"Yeah, yeah… whatever…"

Ashley returned from the kitchen with iced tea, specifically for Megan.

"Hey…"

The blonde handed her the glass, ice clinking. She was thrilled to have Megan here. Under the circumstances, Sam and Carly had readily allowed Megan to move into the guest bedroom, as Carmine had since vacated it in favor of staying with the Bensons. It hadn't been nearly the fight that Ashley had expected. Sam had even taken to tucking the redhead in at night. Megan spoke up, finally back in the present.

"Thanks…"

The blonde and the redhead smiled at one another. It made quiet little Melanie nauseated. It was clear that the couple was feeling amorous for no special reason whatsoever.

"Oh, puke… if you two keep this up, I'm getting the spray bottle from the kitchen…"

Just then, Melanie's phone rang. It was a light, airy, classical tune – Bridget's ringtone. Melanie melted.

"Hey there, _gorgeous…_"

Megan and Ashley made exaggerated kissy-face sounds in her direction. It was exceptionally childish.

"…Oh, they're just insecure…"

Melanie was handling it all in stride. She knew it was all in fun.

"…Great… soon?... I can't wait… I love you too…"

Now huddled next to Megan Marx, Ashley Puckett couldn't help smiling. Seeing her sister happy made her melt inside – just a little bit. It was a wonderful feeling.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Bridget Xi nonchalantly entered the Puckett residence, her dainty little flats making barely a sound as she entered the house. Melanie's face immediately lit up like Christmas.

"Hey!..."

The tiny Korean girl dropped her bag at the front door as though she lived here, crossed the floor in silence, and cozied up next to Melanie on the sofa. The blonde girl knew that something was off.

"What's the matter?"

Bridget mumbled quietly into Melanie's shirt sleeve, mascara streaking the cuff black.

It was – most obviously – her mother.

Seeing the tiny Asian girl cry was uncomfortable for the other two as well. There would be no harassment, barbs, or witty retorts leveled at the girl today. It simply was bad form. Megan Marx was a lot of things, but she wasn't hateful. She looked to the crying girl, whom she derisively had termed Melanie's '_little egg roll'_, and spoke. It was different than anything Bridget or Melanie had ever heard come out of her mouth. It was sweet. It was kind. It was gentle.

"Hey… Kid… look…"

Megan didn't get far before Bridget tried to speak, choking on her sobs.

"That… woman…"

Megan locked eyes with her. Her warm eyes found the tiny girls near-black eyes. The fighter was being slightly melodramatic, but the underlying message was clear. Megan Marx would never harass, abuse, or belittle her again. Never again would she instigate a fight. The look she gave her simply said _'we're on the same team'_.

"Ya want I should kick her in the freakin' head?"

Bridget chuckled through tears. She understood what the fighter was telling her, without ever saying the words. She was saying _'I consider you my friend, and I will back you up to the death, if necessary'._

_**A HALF HOUR LATER…**_

Bridget had dried her eyes, though her weepy episode had left rings of black around her eyes. The four teenagers jumped as the front door opened. Sam Puckett and Mythical Melanie walked though the door. It was Carly's better half who spoke, a plastic grocery sack hitting the floor with a slight thud.

"Oh, Sweet Jesus… What happened here?"

Nobody said a word. It was her daughter's hand, gently caressing the Korean girl's, which told Sam everything she needed to know.

"Okay…"

The young Puckett girl spoke up.

"Bridget's mom is just… such a… a… a…"

Megan Marx chimed in, finishing the sentence.

"Freakin' skunkbag…"

Ashley took a pot-shot at her girlfriend, popping her in the stomach.

"Megan! Language…"

Sam wanted to comfort these kids. It was her nature, but she simply didn't have the words. Ashley gave her the out she so desperately needed.

"Where's Mom?"

"She'll be home shortly. What happened here?"

Nobody wanted to give life to the elephant in the room – what had gone down between Bridget and Karen Xi – but it was simply understood. Melanie Benson bade her sister a gentle farewell and excused herself. Something told her she didn't need to be here when the other shoe dropped.

Sam wanted to press for details, but knew fully well that she shouldn't. This was a _Carly_ sort of problem. For the first time in years, Sam Puckett felt helpless.

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

Following an extremely subdued, but savory dinner, Carly and Sam wrangled all four teenagers in the living room for something of an impromptu intervention. Sam Puckett held court, with the same steeled, dispassionate voice she'd learned years ago from Uncle Carmine.

"Look… I can't, for the life of me, understand what that woman's issue is, but I will say this… nobody touches my family and…"

Carly cut her off with a very well-timed, gentle, pat of Sam's thigh.

"…What Sam's trying to say is that we're here for you…"

Bridget Xi, snuggled between Melanie Puckett and Megan Marx on the sofa, let out a weak sniffle and forced a smile. She knew she was safe here.

"Thank… thank… thank you…"

Carly smiled at her. She knew that weak, forced smile. It had been hers decades ago. It was the one thing she herself had taken from her father's long stretches in AA.

_On the road to recovery, you simply needed to 'act as if'. Act as if that which is destroying you internally has no effect on you whatsoever. In simple English, you had to 'fake it til you make it'. Carly knew this quite well, and it broke her heart that this tiny little girl – who didn't have it in her nature to hurt a fly – had to suffer so needlessly._

Sam Puckett spoke up. She wanted to shift the focus to brighter, happier things.

"You guys have a lot going on… just… remember to be kids. Let me and Carls do the heavy lifting around here. It's your job to go to class, have fun, and just… ya know… be kids…"

Carly beamed on the inside. This was the Sam she'd always known. When push came to shove – at Put-Up-Or-Shut-Up Time – Sam Puckett was always _'All in'_.

She patted her wife gently on the knee. Sam had done enough tonight. She squeezed Sam's kneecap gently.

"Go on… just… go on…"

Sam knew what Carly was saying. Sam had been through so much emotionally charged, painful bullshit in her life that it constantly tore her up on the inside. She couldn't bear to see her girls suffer. She needed an out. Carly was giving her some space.

She knew Sam was stubborn. She needed to beat Mama over the head with the facts before she'd acknowledge them.

"Sam… it's okay… I've got this… _really…_"

The teenagers smiled. They all secretly wished for Carly and Sam's relationship later in life.

Sam smiled, leaned close, and kissed Carly gently on the cheek.

"I'll be back soon, Cupcake, I promise…"

Sam dug in her pockets for her car keys and made a move for her leather jacket and the door, only to be stopped mid-stride by a familiar voice. It was her daughter, Ashley.

"Mama… we love you…"

Sam turned back. It was evident to the Puckett women that Mama was stifling tears.

"Ditto, Kid…"

As Sam headed for the door, Carly raised a point of order with the girls. She wanted them focused on an enjoyable activity.

"_So…_ are you guys excited for Halloween? Sam and I used to go all out when we were your age…"

Melanie and Bridget both giggled. It was clear that the pretty Korean girl was coming around. Melanie spoke up, unable to hide the bubbly, girly enthusiasm in her voice.

"We wanna throw a costume party, but… yeah…"

Carly already knew. The walls in her house could talk, and she certainly had been paying attention.

"How many people?"

Melanie hemmed and hawed, nervously nibbling her lip as Carly had at her age.

"Ummm… maybe fifteen?"

Carly's eyes lit up. She felt like a teenager again.

"Fine by me, but I'll have to run it past your Mama…"

_Score. All four teens knew that Carly's wife would give the brunette anything she asked for. They were getting their party._


	16. iCurtain Call

**iCurtain Call**

Bridget Xi paced backstage at the Seattle Community Playhouse, an absolute nervous wreck. She paced frantically, muttering to herself.

"…What the Hell… dammit…"

The tiny Korean girl felt arms grab hold of her, shaking her from her absentminded muttering. The little girl looked up to see blue eyes. She glanced to the stage door to find Megan Marx nonchalantly swinging what appeared to be a sock filled with God-knows-what. The stage manager was nowhere in sight, although Bridget could swear she heard a groan coming from somewhere nearby. The CFC fighter smirked to herself.

"…nice weight in the hand…"

Bridget mumbled.

"Wait a minute… what are you…?"

Melanie Puckett smiled and pecked the little girl on the cheek.

"Surprise… Go break a leg, Beautiful! You'll be just fine…"

_**EARLY IN THE FIRST ACT…**_

The combined Puckett and Benson families sat in the front row, Sam's video camera clearly trained on the petite teenager portraying Mary Magdalene. Sam Puckett beamed with pride, gently squeezing Carly's hand in her lap.

"…Amazing kid, isn't she, Cupcake?"

Carly shushed her.

"Sam… hush!..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sam Puckett saw. She was no longer a proud mother of two. She was now the wild, rabid Blonde Headed Demon of Freddie Benson's nightmares. Carly knew exactly what was going on and it was up to her to rein Sam in.

"…Whoa, whoa, whoa… Sam… _not the time or the place…_"

The blonde spoke through gritted teeth.

"…_Wanna tear her apart, Carls…"_

"…_not gonna solve anything, Sam…"_

"…_not the point…"_

Things had gotten extremely fighty, extremely fast. Carly held tight to Sam's wrist. It was all she could do to keep Sam together. She spoke in the slow, even, measured whisper that it took to keep Sam in check. It was the slow, measured tone of rationality – the sound the kept Sam from becoming a whirlwind of destruction.

"…_Honey, God asks us to forgive…"_

Sam took a deep breath. She had faith, although she believed differently. Sam Puckett was much more partial to the God whose true name was unpronounceable, visited plagues upon the Earth, and led His People out of bondage to a land of milk and honey. Sam Puckett's was a vengeful God.

"…_Wanna break her head…"_

Carly knew Sam's dilemma – for sixteen years, all Sam had wanted was to protect her little girls, and this was no different. Carly spoke to her in a gentle whisper.

"…_Sam… I know you want to do the right thing, but not like this…"_

Sam Puckett knew that Carly was right. There were too many potential witnesses.

_**AT INTERMISSION…**_

Sam Puckett rounded on Karen Xi in the theater lobby at her earliest possible opportunity. She spoke civilly, but in a low tone that belied the gravity of the situation.

"Now look… I don't understand what in the Hell is the matter here, but…"

Bridget's mother cut her off. It wasn't the best idea in the world.

"I love my daughter, but…"

"You have a damn funny way of showing it, Lady… In my house…"

"Miss Puckett…"

"My name's Sam… You've known that for years…"

"Sam… Please try to understand… it's a matter of – …"

That tore it. Sam knew what came next. There would be talk of _'culture'_ and how Bridget brought _'shame and dishonor to the family'_ or some garbage like that. Sam didn't want to hear it.

"…Oh, Please God don't give me that cultural crap… The fact is our kids are in love. Look, it's not like this is ideal for me either, but…"

Karen Xi went ashen. She had never once considered that one of the Puckett Girl's parents felt uneasy about this.

Sam Puckett didn't care. She simply kept talking.

"…that's beside the goddamn point now… They're smart, well-read, well-adjusted kids and they _genuinely_ care for each other in a way…"

Sam paused, choking up slightly. She shot a sidelong glance across the lobby. Her eyes found Carly's.

"…in… in a way that… well, you can't possibly appreciate…"

Sam casually wiped away a single tear. She remembered what it meant to be their age and suffering silently – pining for the one you wanted, though it seemed impossible.

This display of emotion resonated with Karen Xi on a visceral, innately human level. She couldn't possibly understand what a tiny blonde girl meant to her daughter, but she knew what love was. It wasn't ever what she would choose for her daughter, if ever she could make such a choice. If she could, Karen would arrange a marriage between her daughter and the firstborn son of the wealthiest, most well-connected family she knew, but that would never be what made her only child happy. Her daughter's heart would only skip a beat for Sam and Carly Puckett's little girl. It wasn't perfect. It threw her world into upheaval, but Karen Xi knew she had to literally face the music. She had watched her daughter rehearse often enough that it had simply slipped its way into her head – the penultimate scene from the musical between Jesus and Pilate. It thundered inside her head and she and Sam Puckett hashed out their differences. She wanted to make peace.

"…_You have nothing in your hands… any power you have comes to you from far beyond… Everything is fixed, and you can't change it…"_

She knew it was true. She resigned herself to it. She accepted it. Whatever made her daughter happy was simply the way things would be.

_**BACKSTAGE, AFTER THE SHOW…**_

The extended Puckett family made their way backstage. Two blondes clutched bouquets of red roses. The director praised his actors for a marvelous debut, all the while glancing up, in search of his own partner of nearly twenty years. It wasn't Blaine, but the one he did see at the stage door took his breath away. It was such a surprise as to derail his post-show speech.

"Amazing show tonight, People… Remember… _Why, Melanie Puckett, as I live and breathe…"_

Both Sam's daughter and twin sister responded, only the mythical one stepping forward. It was as though everyone else had melted away. It had been nearly three years since they'd last seen one another. The roses she held were for him.

"Hello, Kurt… it's been a long time…"

She presented him with the flowers, kissing him demurely on the cheek – one diva to another.

_**A FEW SHORT MOMENTS LATER…**_

Carly and Sam's little girl was nervous about what might be said, but here, in the presence of her family, no social rebuke mattered. She ran – flowers in hand – to the rail-thin object of her affection.

"Congratulations… I'm _SO_ proud of you…"

Tears welled up in Bridget Xi's eyes. She couldn't be happier.


	17. iMasquerade

**iMasquerade**

Sam was pleased with herself, having taken the afternoon off. The staff could manage by themselves for _one night_ – and they had been instructed to do so. Sam was _only_ to be called in the event of a dire emergency – and heads would roll if that happened. She had been clear, concise, and to the point. There were more important things to be done this evening.

Sam was Carly's sous-chef this evening. They were putting the finishing touches on a variety of snacks in advance of the kids' little Halloween party. Sam dismissed Carly with a wave of her hand. Tonight, Carly and Sam – always children at heart – would get to be young again. They fully intended to be in costume as well.

"Go on and get changed, Cupcake, Mama's got this…"

Carly smirked and skipped on her merry way to their bedroom. She most definitely had an idea.

_**MEANWHILE, IN THE TWINS' BEDROOM…**_

Melanie pouted, sitting on her bed, swinging her feet, just the way she did when she was a little girl. This wasn't two had to monopolize everything.

Ashley was putting the finishing touches on her own costume – a naughtier than usual version of Little Red Riding Hood – as Megan Marx looked on. The fighter had decided to attend this little soiree as a character of her girlfriend's choosing, and it made her feel weird.

"…_But HONEY…_" Megan whined, "… this makes me look… all… ya know… _girly…"_

Ashley knew. That was the beauty part of the whole thing.

"So?"

Megan continued to fuss. Ashley thought it was so cute when the champ fussed needlessly.

Across the room, Mel primped in her own little way. She had _'borrowed'_ a costume, but it fit her mood this evening – she wanted to be silly and sweet and adorable. She was distracted by her sister's taunts.

"…_OH MY GOD… Tell me you aren't wearing THAT…"_

"So what if I am, Little Red Skunkbag Hood?"

Things had the potential to get _real fighty, real, real fast_. Ashley Puckett blew it off.

"Relax there, Cupcake… just sayin' you look like you're about five years old…"

The derisive, sarcastic tone was in response to Mel's choice of costume – a pink bunny outfit that had once been Carly's. The quiet twin beamed.

"So what if it was Mom's?"

"Ya look like you belong on the short bus…"

It was harsh and Ashley didn't truly mean it, but this play-fighting was typical.

"Well you… you…"

Melanie no longer cared. Tiny Bridget Xi had come skipping into her bedroom, carrying a black garment bag.

"Sorry I'm late… stupid bus…"

Melanie hugged her partner close, but it was Megan Marx who greeted her first.

"Sup, _Flower Drum Song_?"

Neither of the Puckett twins expected what happened next. Bridget nonchalantly dropped the garment bag at the foot of Melanie's bed and crossed the room to where Megan Marx stood, barely breaking a stride. The little Asian girl – who gave up roughly fifty pounds to the CFC fighter – hauled off and slugged the champion in the right bicep.

"For the _LAST TIME…_ I'm Korean, not Chinese… How hard is that to understand?"

Bridget harbored no ill-will towards the Marx girl. It was simply that the repeated, snarky bullshit had gotten old. The petite little girl crossed the room again to be with her girlfriend and retrieved her Halloween costume – bag and all – from the foot of the blonde girl's bed. She smiled brightly, as though nothing had ever happened.

"Be right back…"

Bridget leaned in and kissed Melanie's cheek. The little blonde girl blushed.

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Bridget Xi returned, now dressed as a black cat – complete with tiny felt ears affixed to a headband and whiskers created by the liberal use of makeup – making her way to Melanie's bed, where she flounced down comfortably. Megan couldn't resist another playful jab at the quiet little girl.

"Marking her territory?"

Bridget turned towards Megan and playfully hissed at her. Both Megan and the Puckett twins laughed.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

The party was in full swing, the Puckett living room now housing a dozen and a half Ridgeway underclassmen, as well as the occasional adult. Carly and Sam, respectively, had gone the simple route, reprising their roles as the Idiot Farmgirl and Cowboy, respectively. Sam had lost out, having made an impassioned argument for the return of Melanie Higgles, Space Cheerleader, though Carly hardly felt it appropriate for a room full of teenagers.

Carly entered the room, a bubblegum pink cowboy hat on her head. Sam smiled at her, bad false mustache and all.

"Well, howdy, Maam…"

The twins groaned.

"…Just freakin' shoot me now…" Ashley whined.

"Shut up, they're our parents, and I, for one, think it's sweet…"

Even Wonder Woman – formerly CFC champion Megan Marx – had a soft side.

"It _is_ kinda sweet… in a nubby, teenage, kinda way…"

Melanie smirked, looking squarely in her sister's direction.

"They've been together since they were our age… just lighten up a little… Let them have a little bit of fun…"

It was a little strange to see a black cat cozying up to a pink bunny rabbit, but Bridget Xi wouldn't have it any other way. She whispered in Melanie's ear. The blonde reacted in embarrassment.

"Shhh… not now…"

Ashley just groaned.

"Whatever…"

It was at that moment that Melanie's eyes wandered across the living room and caught her Mama's. It was an image she truly didn't need – her parents sneaking a kiss below the brim of a bright pink cowboy hat – but it was an image that didn't particularly bother her, either. So far as Melanie was concerned, her parents were as entitled to silly, childish, kissy-faced love as she or her sister was. It was all a matter of perspective, and from where Melanie stood, her parents' happiness was paramount.

She felt a silly little ticklish feeling against her neck.

"What are you doing?"

Bridget blushed. She had been a bit too in character. She'd been purring into her girlfriend's ear.

"…Um… Sorry…"

_**ACROSS THE ROOM…**_

The Cowboy had gotten all huffy.

"But _CARLS_… They can't be doing… _THAT…_"

The Farmgirl massaged the Cowboy's navel gently through the blue plaid shirt.

"Relax, Sam… one little kiss never hurt anybody… _besides…_"

Sam Puckett had seen the little Korean girl kiss her daughter, and it slightly weirded her out. Carly chuckled more to herself than to Sam.

"Sam, you're overreacting just a little… just let it be…"

The blonde knew – against her better judgment – that her Cupcake was right.


	18. iFamily Meeting

**iFamily Meeting**

The following morning, Saturday, was shaping up to be a fairly laid back one in the Puckett home – sort of. Where Sam Puckett was involved, Carly never could quite tell. She had finished flipping the last of a batch of pancakes when her beautiful blonde meat-loving best friend finally joined the rest of the clan, fresh from a hot shower.

Sam wandered to the table, dressed only in boxer shorts and a dark Seattle Cobras t-shirt.

"Morning, Cupcake…"

Carly muttered in mock annoyance. The teenagers giggled amongst themselves. Sam smirked, making small talk with the teens.

"Sup, kiddos?"

Melanie and Bridget spoke quietly, while Ashley and Megan were, as usual, over the top.

"Morning, Mama…"

Sam looked in dire need of an aspirin.

"You know this shit…"

"_SAMANTHA, LANGUAGE!_"

"…err, stuff was a lot easier to handle when we were your age… Coffee ready, Carls?"

Carly relished being the little homemaker, but she only had two hands.

"Waiting for you, Love of My Life…"

Ashley and Megan both rolled their eyes. Ashley knew her parents loved each other with a deep and abiding passion, but sometimes the gooey sweet puppy love got to be a bit much. She chose to ignore it, her parents were her parents. She only hoped that she and Megan would be this way in twenty-five years.

Sam got up, plodded across the kitchen, stopped to peck Carly quickly on the cheek, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, and continued on in search of coffee and over-the-counter painkillers.

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Sam finally had caffeine coursing through her veins again. It was a good thing. Carly came over and gently patted her thigh. Megan and Ashley had retired to the sofa and Melanie had excused herself in favor of a hot bubble bath, but tiny Bridget Xi had remained at the table, seated amongst the adults, nursing a glass of orange juice.

"Better, Sam?"

Sam could only smile. Bridget was paying attention. It wasn't serious, but it was understandable – and embarrassing. Sam Puckett was suffering from basic, simple exhaustion. Her wife had worn her out last night. She tried to contain the raspberry color from seeping into her cheeks, but spoke to the adults quietly and respectfully. She was the girl her mother and grandparents had raised her to be.

"Excuse me, Missus Puckett…?"

It was the title Carly was most used to, so she looked up first, her eyes meeting the little girl's. The brunette struggled to contain a smile. Bridget's cheeks still bore dark makeup smudges that had been cat whiskers.

"Yes, Dear?"

Bridget was torn. She wanted to say everything under the sun, but the words simply wouldn't come out. What did sounded trite, as it was so simplistic, but Carly understood.

"Thank you… for… you know, for everything…"

The former Carly Shay beamed.

"You don't need to thank us, Sweetheart… It's perfectly okay. We consider you part of our family, and this family sticks together."

Sam's blue eyes found Bridget's dark, nearly black eyes. She could understand her daughter's point of view. The tiny girl was beautiful. The look she gave Bridget took them both back to the private conversation they'd had that night at _Il Terrazzo Carmine_. It had taken that uncomfortable experience for Sam Puckett to open up. It was the first time that Sam had seen Bridget as something besides a little girl. Sam's issue was she still viewed the foursome as they had been a decade before – little, little girls. It wasn't until that night that Sam had come to see the diminutive Asian girl as a young woman with adult intellect, adult reasoning, and adult feelings. Mama Puckett finally decided to speak up, even if it was solely for her own benefit.

"Look, Kiddo… What Carls is trying to say is… ya know… it's all good and you don't have to worry so much about stuff anymore… there are plenty of people here who care about you..."

Bridget looked as though she was going to burst into tears. It was at this inopportune moment that Melanie made her way down the hall, fresh from her warm, jasmine-infused bubble bath. Like her Mama before her, she leapt to the inescapably wrong conclusion and took off towards the delicate little girl at a bit of a run.

"Look, whatever you think happened didn't, so you can stop badgering her…"

A wry smile crossed Sam Puckett's face. She knew.

"You're grounded…"

Ashley spoke up, excited, from the living room sofa, never breaking away from the TV.

"SCORE! Nerd's grounded!

"SAM!"

Sam realized she'd jumped the gun. She didn't mean to, but she'd had so much practice grounding Ashley over the years, it was simply second nature.

"_FINE…_ You're not grounded, but What the Chizz did you think we knew that you just told on yourself?"

Carly and Bridget both blushed. There was more than enough embarrassment to go around. Carly, ever the peacemaker, sensed what was at issue here, and wanted to save her little girl any further public humiliation.

"Sam… I don't think this is really the time or place for this, Honey."

Sam knew she'd overstepped, so she didn't argue, though her elder daughter fussed, even from a distance.

"_DAMN, _why is she not grounded?"

Sam spoke up. It was plucking at her absolute last nerve.

"You're not one to talk, Little Girl… Don't think for a second that I can't put bars on those bedroom windows…"

There would be no more editorial commentary from the Peanut Gallery.

_**LATER THAT MORNING…**_

The air had been cleared and Carly had been one hundred percent spot on. _'The Talk'_ was never easy, but she knew she had to handle it. Sam was under enough stress and could very well get swingy if pushed outside her comfort zone. This was why Carly had given her strict instructions that she was to sit by her side, hold her hand, nod, and was limited to one-word answers.

Melanie was contrite, hat-in-hand. She swore up and down that her relationship with the young Korean girl hadn't progressed beyond the purely innocent testing-the-water stage. Both Carly and Sam knew that their quiet little girl didn't have it in her to be deceptive. Carly knew that this was part of life – part of parenthood – but her concern was for Sam. Carly was afraid that Mama Puckett, who had dealt with so many things when she was young, wouldn't be able to handle her own children coming into their own.

Out of view of their daughter, Carly's fingers found a stray blonde curl down past Sam's shoulders. The brunette instinctively wound it in her fingers, speaking to Sam in a voice barely above a whisper. She had lifted it from the musical they'd attended the other evening, and Sam knew it.

"…_Everything's alright, yes, Everything's fine…"_


	19. iCommand Respect

**iCommand Respect**

In the intervening week, Sam Puckett had seemingly mellowed like a fine red wine. Now, it was simply Put Up-or-Shut Up Time. It would be her way or no way at all.

Four of Carmine's best _'collectors'_ stood at the front door of the gym, providing security for the CFC Women's Champion. Megan Marx was getting exceedingly whipped up, going through her workout at a frantic pace – to the point of laziness, from Sam's point of view. That tore it. She threw down her own gloves, berating the young champion out of sheer frustration.

"What is _THE MATTER WITH YOU?! _Don't you _flippin'_ get that this chick wants to come in here and tear your damn head off and I can't… I _WON'T_ let that happen!"

This was a side of Sam Puckett Megan had rarely – if ever – seen. This was the woman she'd called _'Auntie Sam'_ growing up. All she could do was give Sam a _'Deer in the Headlights'_ look.

"Uh…"

Sam did her best to quash the emotions and bury them down deep.

"Look, Kid… I promised your folks I'd take care of you while they got life back on track and you got ready for this fight, but you need to meet me half way on this…"

Megan wanted to pout and throw a teenage temper tantrum, but she simply didn't get her mouth open in time. Sam continued, solely to prove a point.

"…You've got the potential to be great, but only if you'll get your damn head in the game! Look, your mom was a damn good fighter – _damn good_ – but, quite frankly, I kicked her ass from here to Vancouver a time or two, specifically because she got wrapped up in other stuff – like falling in love with Wendy – but whatever, if your heart's not in being the best, I can't make you want this…"

Megan's jaw hung open so long and so loosely that, were she vindictive, Sam could have tagged the champ on the chin and sent her reeling. It was clear to her that Shelby had never told her of the occasions when Sam Puckett mopped the floor with her.

Sam knew she'd touched a nerve – cut a bit too close to the bone. She couldn't tell if the champion was sweating, crying, or both. Sam decided to rip this bandage off quickly and decisively, once and for all.

"Look, Champ… I was… probably… you know… outta…"

Megan didn't care. She deserved it. She'd taken things for granted. She felt that _she_ was the one who needed to apologize.

"No… it's not… that's not it at all… You're still my _'Auntie Sam'_, you know… I never meant to fall in love with her…"

There we go. That's what this was all about. Sam Puckett wasn't heartless. She knew what she needed to do.

"Hit the showers, Kid… We're done for today…"

_**HALF AN HOUR LATER AT THE GROOVY SMOOTHIE…**_

Sam was doing her best to be something other than a trainer today. She felt that she'd been unduly hard on Megan. There were times when she forgot that the lanky, muscular redheaded spitfire wasn't Shelby. Megan _was_, after all, just a kid. She wanted to be a sounding board. She wanted to be Megan's Auntie Sam again. She wanted to be her friend.

The table was littered with enough food to choke a horse, but, then again, this was Sam Puckett. Both women chewed on massive double cheeseburgers, picking between large orders of onion rings and French fries. Sam had no idea how many thousands of calories were sitting in front of her, but she didn't much care. They'd been getting to know one another again, this time as women, rather than adult-to-child.

"Look, I know I was a little heavy-handed before, but can you understand where I'm comin' from? Your parents asked us to take you in 'cuz of this fight you have comin' up, and… well, Wendy'd kinda kill me if you got your face knocked in…"

Megan very nearly spit her raspberry smoothie all over the table. She took Sam's comment as it was intended. She was attempting to be serious and funny all in the same breath. The teenaged champion reiterated her earlier point for what must have been the fourth time. It was clear to Sam that something was eating at her.

"Auntie Sam…?"

It was the first time Megan had called her that in years. It rung Sam's bell like a roundhouse kick to the jaw. She let the teenager keep talking.

"I never meant… ya know… to fall for her… It sort of just happened…"

Sam didn't need or want the details of where, when, why, and how the beautiful redheaded girl had come to the realization that she wasn't like other little girls and that the object of her affections was Carly and Sam's own daughter.

Sam waved her off, as though she were stopping the upcoming CFC title fight.

"I understand better than you realize. When Carls and I were your age…" Sam chuckled. "…you wouldn't believe me if I told you... True Chizz…"

Megan Marx smiled brightly, feeling less like a commodity and more like a teenage girl for a change. She knew that, of all people, Sam Puckett could relate. Sam Puckett was just like her own Mama. Both Sam and Shelby would never take _'No'_ for an answer. They would both keep coming unabated, in attack dog mode, for as long as they felt they had to. Megan figured that this innate similarity was what had made them such fast friends all those years ago. The teenager knew the broad strokes, but she had always grown up in a world where Shelby loved Wendy and Carly was Sam's. This was just the natural order of things. There simply was nothing else. It was all that she knew.

Sam, for whatever reason, reached across the table, her fingers finding the young girl's as though they were Carly's. For a moment, Sam found herself admiring the fighter's hands and pretty, manicured nails, a deep magenta color that may well have matched her raspberry smoothie. All the older woman could think of were how pristine the teenager's hands and fingers were, given that she earned a living with them.

Out of the dark recesses of her own mind, Sam began narrating. It just felt like the right time to tell this story.

"I bet nobody's ever told you this, but when we were your age, I had a real beef with your Mom, since she wanted to fight Carls, and, well, it was kinda awkward…"

Megan chuckled. The fact of the matter was that nobody had ever told this story to her. It was something of an urban legend in her own house. She pieced together what she thought had happened – what made sense from her frame of reference. It would be something else entirely to hear Sam's version of events. The tall, muscular young girl gazed up into the deep blue eyes of her mentor and listened with rapt attention.


	20. iPrepare for War

**iPrepare for War**

Under Sam Puckett's tutelage, Megan Marx had become an entirely different fighter, virtually overnight. Sam's speech about priorities, heart, and having your head in the game rattled Megan's proverbial cage. She loved Ashley Puckett with all of her heart, but her entire body required that her heart set love aside – albeit momentarily – to accomplish the task at hand.

Shelby was feeling much more like the champ of old, having left the newborn addition to their family – Katarina Ariana Marx – in Wendy's capable care. This fight would require more than Sam Puckett had to give. If Megan were to win and retain the title, this thing would be a war. The young champion would need Shelby the tactician, as well as Sam the invisible ninja. This girl was a brawler and no amount of ring generalship would suffice. At some point, strategy would go completely out the window and this would simply be about who wanted it more.

Shelby paused the video of the number one contender's previous fight. It was impressive as hell on Sam and Carly's fifty-five inch flat panel TV. The Puckett house was quiet. It was only the three of them. It was a glorified film room.

"She's tough as nails and she fights dirty…" Shelby chuckled to herself. Megan didn't see what was so damn funny. The elder Marx continued. "…Gee, I wonder where I've seen that before…"

Sam knew exactly what Shelby was thinking. She shot her old friend a sidelong look, as if to read her mind.

"Whatcha thinkin', Champ?"

Shelby Marx was blunt and straight to the point.

"It'll be an uphill fight, honestly… I say we've got three rounds, tops…"

Megan was both angry and exceedingly hurt.

"You don't think I can win?"

Shelby interrupted.

"I _know_ you can, Baby, just under the right conditions… all I'm saying is that we have to maximize everything and work to your strengths…"

Megan's gaze returned to the video.

"…Fuckin' skunkbag…"

Shelby shot her daughter an icy look.

"Excuse me?"

The young girl motioned to the TV.

"Her…"

Shelby smirked.

"Okay, fair point…"

_**TWO HOURS LATER…**_

The threesome sat at the Puckett's breakfast table, Sam refereeing an escalating verbal fight between mother and daughter. It had gotten heated, but Sam, being Sam, was able to keep things relatively in check.

"…Goddammit Megan, you're so damned hardheaded…"

The champion was a typical, obstinate teenager.

"I am what you made me, Mommy Dearest…"

Sam glanced to Shelby, silly, yet half-serious.

"Ya want to pop her in the mouth or should I?"

A twinkle in Shelby's eye told Sam that her friend knew she was joking. Megan continued whining.

"You knew this was going to happen!"

"Megan, when I signed the deal, she wasn't the Number One Contender… now she is… that's why she gets the title shot… I had no way of knowing…"

"But…but…"

Sam had heard enough. The sound of her fist slamming down on the table underscored the point.

"ENOUGH! Both of you! Jesus! Enough of this stupid-ass bickering, kiss, and make up… you're family… you're _MY _family, dammit, and we've got a job to do. Everybody just get your chizz together or I'm cracking both your heads!"

The Marxes fell in line. Even Shelby knew when enough was enough. This was Sam's house and she would most definitely say her piece. The blonde looked to Shelby first.

"Champ, we've been through some serious mess together, and I'd trust you with my life, but if you think I'll let Princess over here get whupped on, you're sadly mistaken."

Sam turned her attention to the teenaged girl.

"…_AND YOU_, Miss Bad-Ass… Your folks made Carls and I your godparents for a reason. We've been responsible for you since you were able to walk. Now, I get that there are other things going on here that make our relationship a bit… I dunno…"

Sam searched for the correct word. Finding none, she used the closest thing that came to mind.

"…_Gibby…_ but, again, nothing and nobody's gonna touch you, you get me?"

It wasn't a sit-down worthy of Uncle Carmine, but it accomplished the goal just the same. Old Lion and Young Lion were no longer at each other's throats, so Sam could go about her business. Shelby had put her in charge and now wanted back in the game. Sam would allow it as a courtesy – out of love for her old friend and the simple practical matter that Shelby had a skill set that Sam lacked. It was time to get down to business.

_**AN HOUR LATER, TENSIONS HAVING SUBSIDED…**_

Shelby had spread the contents of an overstuffed file folder out across Sam and Carly's coffee table. She was explaining to both Megan and Sam the business and promotional side of the fight game. This was what Megan didn't understand – not completely. This was where the money came from.

"Look, now, like I said before, I would've never signed this deal had I known that the little skunkbag was going to be the Number One Contender, but facts are facts. Given the backstory here, the press'll have a freakin' field day with this. Pay-per-view money is going to be through the roof on this thing.

All Megan heard was _'Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, press, field day'_. She was too consumed with hatred for her opponent.

"…Trampy little skunkbag…"

Shelby swatted her daughter on the hand.

"That's enough. I don't disagree with you, but that's enough… If Mom heard you talking like that…"

Megan blushed, as though she were a little girl again.

"Yeah, I know… I hate the taste of soap…"

Sam snapped her fingers twice.

"Focus, please…"

Shelby smirked. She was grateful to have Sam Puckett by her side again. Sam had served in her corner for the final three fights of her own professional career, keeping her safe and allowing her to transition into a quiet life with Wendy that had been her saving grace. She knew that Sam Puckett still had her own _'stuff down in the basement'_, which made her ideally suited for the fight game. She knew there were no more capable hands in the world to protect her daughter than Sam Puckett's.

Shelby withdrew an oversized sheet from the folder, folded onto itself several times. She unfolded it and laid it across the table. It was a promotional copy of the fight poster.

_**BAD BLOOD: MARX – FECKNER II**_

_**CFC CHAMPION MEGAN MARX v. # 1 CONTENDER JADE FECKNER**_

This explained it all. Megan's title defense would come against the daughter of the woman Shelby had dethroned in embarrassing fashion over two decades ago.


	21. iSay My Piece

**iSay My Piece**

It was the day before Megan's title defense and the ballroom at the Parker-Nichols Hotel had been transformed for the pre-fight press conference. It was a formal affair, so far as press events go – fight posters and promotional backdrop flanking the stage, with a large table set up, microphones and place cards at the ready.

Sam took it all in. The thing was to begin in a half hour. She wanted to be prepared.

_**MEANWHILE, IN THE LOBBY…**_

The two women brushed past one another, coming face to face for the first time in two decades. Though ages had passed, time clearly didn't heal all wounds. The moment their eyes met, they were no longer _'Women of a Certain Age'_. They were fifteen and twenty-six, respectively. They spoke only single words to each other. If looks could kill, the hotel lobby would've been a blood bath.

"Maya…"

"Marx…"

It was clear that former CFC champion Maya Feckner had aged, though never truly grown up. Her embarrassing defeat by Shelby Marx's hand had forced her into retirement in her mid-twenties. She had never truly recovered. She was exactly as Shelby had remembered her, albeit an older model. Feckner still wore her hair in cornrow braids, an oddity enough for a Caucasian fighter, but now it was blonde, with hints of gray creeping in.

Passing Shelby Marx, Maya Feckner lowered her shoulder ever so slightly, the bone-on-bone collision enough to cause the slightest amount of discomfort.

That tore it. Shelby Marx had grown up, married, put the fight game behind her, and raised a family, but if this was the type of petty bullshit Maya Feckner was going to pull twenty years after the fact, Shelby would pull out all of the stops.

"_It's on…"_ she thought.

_**THE PRESS CONFERENCE, HALF AN HOUR LATER…**_

The ballroom was filled with members of the media from all over the country, as well as a handful of foreign nations, as the press conference got under way. Megan was seated at the center of the table, Sam Puckett to her immediate left, Shelby to her right. Several feet away, challenger Jade Feckner sat, her own manager-mother next to her. The challenger glowered at the champion, who stared straight through her.

The Marx and Puckett families were well represented. Carly, Ashley, Wendy, and Freddie Benson occupied the front row. Bridget and Melanie had jumped at the chance to fawn over the new Marx child, now in the care of Sam's twin sister.

The first question came from a local sports reporter for the _Times._ Megan liked him very much, he'd always treated her respectfully when doing an article on her or the sport. She figured he was the kind of man she'd date if she were into men and if not for the fact that he was _'creepy old'_, in her own terms.

"Miss Marx, this is your first title defense after a significant layoff… Any butterflies?"

Megan didn't know what he wanted to hear, but she was the champ. If this story was to be spun, she'd do the spinning.

"This is what I do. I'm in shape, and I have a great corner. From where I sit, things look pretty dam – err… darn good, to be honest…"

Shelby was grateful that Megan had caught herself. Had that wound up on ESPN, Wendy would make sure that the Swear Jar in her kitchen was full of hundred dollar bills.

The next question came from one of the ESPN on-air talking heads.

"Miss Feckner, your prediction for the fight?"

Jade Feckner, spitting image of her mother's younger days, save for jet black hair, looked straight into the camera.

"Prediction? Yeah… Pain."

"Miss Marx, Don Plotz, _Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…_ Do you feel you have any… well… advantage as the defending champion?"

Megan took this question and stood it on its head.

"Both of our mothers are former champions – let's face it – that's what this fight is all about… which family trained the better fighter… but, in a way, yes, I do feel I have an advantage, yes…"

Megan was intentionally vague, but she relied on subtlety to make her point. During her response, she intentionally glanced for long moments from Shelby to Sam to the spot in the crowd where her girlfriend sat. They gave her strength. She knew what she had to rely on to get through this. If Team Feckner had its way, this thing would be nothing more than a glorified street fight. That played to their strength. Megan knew that she was a better fighter. She spoke again, this time in response to a reporter from the _Vancouver Sun_.

"If she wins, she wins, and I salute her as the champ, but if I win…"

Megan chose her words carefully. She and Shelby had prepped for this type of baiting question. She went slightly off-script, but not so far as to earn her Mama's ire.

"…ya know, win, lose, or draw, I'm still a great fighter, I'm proud of where I come from, and I'm proud to be who I am…"

This was nowhere near what the Canadian reporter wanted, so he elaborated. He directed his follow-up to Shelby.

"Anything in the contract about a rematch?"

Shelby glared at the tall man with the Vancouver press credentials hanging from a lanyard on his neck. She gave him the Look of Death.

"I'm saying this once and once only. No Rematch. Next question…"

Shelby's commentary caused the eighteen year old challenger to go ballistic, throwing a psychotic little tantrum for the cameras.

"_NO REMATCH?! I'M GONNA TAKE YOU APART!"_

Instinctively, Shelby grabbed her daughter around the waist and pulled her close, before all Hell broke loose.

It was too late. Sam Puckett had a microphone in her hand. In no uncertain terms, _Mama Got This. _From her seat, Carly had a flashback to the press conference before her exhibition with Shelby. She could hear the voice inside her own head.

"_Not good… not good… so, so, so not good…"_

Sam began to speak.

"_LISTEN UP, UNLESS YOU'RE AS DUMB AS YOU LOOK, MY GIRL'S THE CHAMP… YOU WANNA DANCE? YOU KNOW WHERE AND WHEN… JUST REMEMBER TO SHOW UP, CUPCAKE!"_

For the first time in Sam Puckett's life, the word 'Cupcake' had been used for evil.


	22. iCalm Before the Storm

**iCalm Before the Storm**

That evening was uncomfortable indeed.

"Carls… Honey… the… it just slipped out of my mouth…"

"CUPCAKE?! I'M YOUR CUPCAKE, SAM! ME!"

Sam felt like a heel. She gathered the brunette in her arms.

"Baby, I know… I… that little girl is a royal skunkbag and I just… I just _lost it_…"

Carly could see the truth behind Sam's gorgous blue eyes.

"I know, Sam, I know…"

Carly kissed Sam gently on the mouth. It was tender and romantic, save for the fact that their daughter had just walked in from the adjoining suite.

"Ewww, get a room, you guys, Jeez!"

Sam glared at her daughter.

"We _have_ three… What's your beef with me loving your mother?"

Carly scolded Sam gently. She knew her daughter didn't mean anything by it.

"Sam, C'mon… she's just…"

Sam knew.

"Look, Kid… I'm obviously wound a little tight here… I'm sorry… Can ya do me a favor?"

Ashley smirked. Much like her Mama, she had a thick skin. This chizz was already water under the bridge.

" 'Course… What'cha need?"

Sam smiled. "Go home and check on your sister, would ya?"

Ashley had no idea why the Nerds needed babysitting, but she readily agreed anyway.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, but that can wait…"

Sam's tone had Carly nervous.

"_SAMANTHA PUCKETT…. What are you planning on not telling me?"_

Sam lazily placed a finger over Carly's lips.

"Shhh, Cupcake… Mama's got this…"

Ashley chuckled. Her parents were weird, but it was apparent that they loved each other deeply, even after all this time. She smiled, dug her car keys from her jeans pocket, and bounded for the door.

"Love you both… If you're gonna get all… _whatever_… just put a sock on the door or something… If I walk in on that, I think I'll need therapy…"

Sam yelled at her daughter.

"GET OUTTA HERE, YOU MEATHEAD…"

Both Carly and Ashley knew Sam was playing around. The teenager looked back over her shoulder, shooting her Mama a bright smile.

"Love you guys… I'll be back as soon as I can."

The pretty blonde bounded for the door, leaving her parents to their own devices.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER, ACROSS TOWN…**_

Ashley's key turned in the lock.

"NERDS! I'M HOME!"

Melanie and Bridget had been snuggling on the sofa. Ashley could tell she'd just interrupted them kissing. Melanie glared at her twin, clearly frustrated.

"Why are you here?"

"Mama told me to check on you guys…"

"Why? Doesn't she trust us?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. She wanted to buttersock her sister upside the head. She clearly didn't get it.

"Ummm… She's _kinda_ busy, if you didn't get that…"

The good Puckett twin was frustrated.

"Look… we weren't doing anything bad…"

Ashley rolled her eyes again. She didn't frankly give a goddamn.

"I'm not here to lecture you… Hell, I don't care what you were up to… Our parents just wanted to make sure you guys were okay and whatever… Look, do whatever you guys wanna do, just maybe try to call Mom's cell once in a while, why don't ya, so she doesn't go all… ya know…"

Bridget patted Melanie's leg, smiling.

"We'll call… don't worry…"

Ashley whipped out her wallet, tossing a twenty dollar bill in her sister's direction.

"Here, Kiddo… order a pizza or whatever… have a little fun, on me…"

It was what Ashley could do. She loved her sister and did what she could to ease the tension. She was giving her sister an out. It was something simple, but it was important. The sentiment wasn't lost on the quiet little girl.

"Thanks…"

"Shut up and have a nice night…"

Ashley smiled in her sister's direction. This was what it meant to be sisters. She'd had enough of the whiny, nit-picky teasing.

_**LATER, AT THE HOTEL…**_

Ashley, against Sam's objections, was bunking with Shelby, Wendy, and Megan. She was afraid that her daughter would distract the champion from the task at hand. Sam Puckett the parent and Sam Puckett the trainer were on the same page. Shelby Marx, former champion, manager, and parent, allayed those fears.

"Sam, she knows better…"

"But they're… you know…"

"They feel the same thing you feel for Carly and I feel for Wendy. It's no big thing…"

"You sure?"

Shelby chuckled at her old friend.

"I can always kick her in the head if she tries anything…"

Sam got her friend's sick joke.

"Yeah, whatever, Champ…"

Ashley and Megan ignored their parents' conversation between adjoining rooms. They cuddled close together, watching an obscenely overpriced movie on pay-per-view, talking quietly amongst themselves. Regardless of how little Ashley wanted to let on, she was shaking on the inside.

"Meg, honey, I'm…"

"Ash… Stop… it'll be okay…"

Wendy exited the bathroom and could instantly read the trepidation on the young girl's face. She spoke up, not caring what her daughter would say. She was a mom.

"I know the feeling, believe me, and it doesn't get easier… you just learn to live with it..."

"MOM!"

"Megan, please… I'm talking here…"

Shelby loved Wendy, but she couldn't fault her for her concern. She simply shot a look in her redhead's direction.

"Wendy Sue, was that truly necessary, the night before a fight?"

Wendy asserted herself, as respectfully and diplomatically as she could. She adored her partner of twenty years, but being a fighter's wife was hard enough. Being a mother as well wasn't something she'd necessarily signed on for.

"Shelby, please… you handle our little fighting machine, allow me to look after her girlfriend, would you, please?"

Fair enough. Shelby knew when to push the issue and when to throw in the towel.

_**AN HOUR LATER, APPROXIMATELY BEDTIME…**_

Megan was in the shower. Shelby and Sam had retired to the bar downstairs to share a glass of wine and discuss strategy as far from their respective partners as they could get. This left Wendy with the opportunity to have a heart to heart with Ashley. It was a conversation that Wendy had wanted to have for some time.

"Honey, I know what she means to you…"

"Yes, maam, but I promise you, we haven't…"

"Sweetheart, that isn't what this is about. I just wanted to tell you that I understand how you feel. Believe me, I understand how you feel. It wasn't easy when Shelby fought, but we do what we have to for those we love, don't we?"

The pretty blonde girl blushed.

"Yes, maam…"

Wendy tousled Ashley's hair, gently leaning in, kissing her on the forehead for the first time since she was a small child.

"Get some sleep… This family has a very busy day tomorrow…"

Ashley laughed. It was nice to be highly thought of.


	23. iGo All In

**iGo All In**

It was the afternoon of the big fight. The clock was ticking. The house lights would go up at KeyArena at seven o'clock that evening. Sam and Shelby had conspired to shoo Carly and Wendy, along with Megan, downstairs to breakfast. They wanted to catch young Ashley alone.

It almost didn't work.

The young blonde turned to head for the door, following the lean, curvy CFC champion to breakfast. Sam caught her by the wrist, yanking her harder than intended.

"Oww! Damn!"

Sam had never meant to hurt her.

"You watch your mouth and just listen to me for two minutes, okay?"

Sam's gaze told Ashley that Mama was serious as a heart attack.

"Okay, okay… I'm sorry for cussin', but what's this about?"

Sam looked to Shelby, who handed passed something to her. Sam had by now released her daughter's wrist. It was solely to keep her from leaving. She'd regretted ever causing her pain. That wasn't what she was about. She felt as though she'd become Pam.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you… I didn't mean…"

Ashley smiled.

"Chillax, Ma… It's all good…"

Sam continued speaking.

"Shelby and I needed you away from Megan for a minute…"

When her daughter spoke, Sam felt like she was fifteen again. Her daughter sounded like Mythical Melanie, all those years ago.

"Wait… _I'm confused…"_

Sam handed her daughter a folded square of satiny material. From the way it was folded, Ashley could read _'MARX'_ embroidered over what had to be the breast pocket – essentially over her heart. It was a ring jacket, matching those to be worn by Shelby and Sam tonight – in Megan's corner. The implication was clear. Sam wanted her daughter at her side.

"Are you in or out, Kid?"

Ashley didn't need to answer. Both Sam and Shelby knew it was a foregone conclusion.

_**CARLY AND SAM'S HOTEL SUITE, LATER THAT EVENING…**_

"SAM, YOU CAN'T! SHE'S JUST A CHILD!"

Sam shook her head. She was lost in thought for a second.

"…_Well, that went well…"_

"The State says she's old enough to operate a motor vehicle, Carls… She's old enough to stand around at ringside for an hour, because _Shelby wants her there_…"

This was Sam's doing, not Shelby's, and Carly knew it. All Carly wanted was to protect her little girl from unnecessary pain.

"Carls… _Honey_… I promise she'll be okay. If not, you can divorce me…"

The words stung, but Carly knew what Sam meant. Sam meant that she'd rather suffer a fate worse than death – life without Carly – rather than hurt their daughter. Carly kissed Sam gently on the lips – softly, intimately, and in full view of their teenaged daughter, who, this time, didn't flinch.

It was their daughter who spoke up.

"You two are both stupid for each other, but I love you…"

Carly knew there was no changing her daughter's mind. She was as hardheaded as her Mama.

_**KEYARENA, SIX THIRTY THAT EVENING…**_

The _HOME_ locker room now belonged to Team Marx. Sam, Shelby, and Ashley were decked out in Megan's colors for the evening – red with black trim – while the champion got ready herself, going through her own pre-fight ritual.

Megan stared at the pictures she'd placed around the mirror – the little snapshots taken at the mall the day she'd first mustered the courage to kiss her best friend as well as the photo from Wendy and Shelby's first date – while praying, all barely above a whisper.

"…_Yay, though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil…"_

Megan quickly crossed herself, lifting the small gold cross she wore around her neck to her lips, kissing it. Much like Shelby, Megan believed The Lord Her God was a fight fan.

Ashley craned her neck over the champion's shoulder. She kissed her gently on the cheek.

"I love you…"

A moment later, Megan felt Shelby's hand on her shoulder.

"It's time, Kid… Let's go…"

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Sam and Shelby had kissed their respective partners, shipping them off to the VIP suite in the upper levels of the arena. It was worth the expense to have Wendy as far from ringside as could be on fight nights. Shelby knew fully well that Wendy and Carly would worry and overreact, but if they needed to do so, they should do it in comfort. Their respective wives had departed for the elevators and the suite level, while Team Marx made their way towards ringside.

Exiting the tunnel, Shelby's former entrance music – now adopted by her daughter – blared from the arena's sound system. Megan had done as Shelby had always instructed – let your mind go blank until you hear the bell.

The ring announcer finally woke the champion from her mindless state.

"…_Good Evening, Fight fans… Welcome to Seattle and tonight's main event, scheduled for ten rounds to decide the CFC Women's Heavyweight Title…"_

Challenger Jade Feckner was introduced first, followed by the champion, Megan Marx. Shelby gently removed the gold cross from her daughter's neck, pocketing it.

"Remember, just like we've planned… just do what you do…"

Megan looked to her mother, followed by Sam and Ashley. She crossed her arms across her chest – American Sign Language for _'I love you'_. The bell sounded. Round One.

The challenger bounded out of the opposing corner, swinging wildly. Megan bobbed, light on her feet, dancing out of the way. She clipped Feckner cleanly on the chin, sending her staggering into the chain link in the far corner of the octagon. She'd clearly rattled her. The crowd went wild.

Feckner pursued her, her head back in the game. Megan did as Shelby had instructed, borrowing from the Greatest of All Time. She covered her face and midsection and let the challenger pound away on her.

Ashley felt heartsick in the corner, though she trusted the Shelby Marx System. If Shelby had told Megan so, there had to be a reason for it.

…_DING…_

_**MIDWAY THROUGH ROUND 3…**_

The fight had, to this point, gone largely as Shelby had predicted, Megan holding her own against the older challenger. All it took was one slight, imperceptible misstep by Jade Feckner and it happened. Megan could hear it. Shelby could tell simply from the look of it. Megan had either cracked or broken at least three of Jade Feckner's ribs.

The challenger again swung wildly, missing wide. During a clinch, she exacted revenge. It was dirty pool, but that had never stopped Feckner before. While the referee's eyes were elsewhere, the challenger threw an elbow, opening a gash over the champion's right eye. Blood streamed from the wound. In the corner, Sam Puckett went ballistic.

"HOLY HELL! THAT'S A CHEAP SHOT, REF AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW IT!"

Shelby restrained her friend. It was bad, but it wasn't worth the attention, lest he stop the fight prematurely.

Ashley felt sick to her stomach.

…_DING…_

_**MEANWHILE, IN THE VIP SUITE…**_

Wendy and Carly watched the fight on television – it was the pay-per-view broadcast – minus the expense. They listened to the ringside commentary. It turned Wendy's stomach. It was Shelby all over again, only worse. Megan would always be her baby.

"…_opens a gash over the champion's right eye… She's cut and she's bleeding… I wouldn't be surprised if the doctors step in and stop this one…"_

Carly held herself together for Wendy's sake. She was thankful that Freddie had offered to join them tonight, for moral support. Carly's sweet brother-in-law squeezed Wendy's hand.

"It's okay, Wendy… she's in good hands… they won't let her get hurt…"

Occupying a chair some distance away from the rest of the group, Carmine Puckett shifted his weight. This would not stand – not in a building in which he supplied the security.

_**THE START OF ROUND 5…**_

Sam and Shelby had patched up Megan's eye the best they could, stemming the bleeding with thick dabs of petroleum jelly. Combined with blood and sweat, it stung like a bitch, but if it meant holding on to her title, Megan would do whatever it took.

Prior to the bell, she had turned to Shelby. She needed her Mama's approval, but also her sage advice as a former champion.

"Can I just let loose?"

Shelby was cold and dispassionate.

"Go for it."

Megan Marx bounded for the center of the octagon, intent on taking the fight directly to Jade Feckner. She didn't even raise her gloves. She simply stared at – directly through – the challenger. She didn't put up a fight. She shoved her as hard as she could, directly in the chest, sending the challenger careening off the chain link at the far back of the octagon. She proceeded to scream at Feckner. Megan Marx wasn't playing anymore.

"YOU WANT WHAT I GOT? Y'AINT SO BAD!"

Megan raised her gloves, tapping at her own cheekbones.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE BAD? COME AT ME, THEN! YA WANNA HIT ME? COME ON! IN THE FACE!"

Ashley was getting scared. Feckner had taken Megan up on her offer, connecting with several shots. Megan wasn't even putting up a fight. Her girlfriend was falling to pieces. She did what she always did. She went straight to Mama.

"She's gonna get killed out there! You promised she wouldn't get hurt!"

Sam shooed her daughter away with a swipe of her hand. She could see what her daughter couldn't.

"She's not getting killed… She's getting mad… Now would you hush?"

Megan shoved Jade Feckner hard in the chest again, giving herself space. She knew exactly what she was doing. Shelby saw it coming from the corner. Before Feckner could close the gap between them, Megan had found the strength and timed her jump perfectly. After hundreds of hours of training, she'd done exactly as her mother had shown her. Her foot collided with the challenger's jaw perfectly, sending her mouth guard – along with several teeth – flying. The challenger was now bleeding profusely from the mouth.

_**MEANWHILE, UPSTAIRS…**_

Wendy was again sick to her stomach. She didn't know what to say. Carly, despite her own queasiness, was glued to the TV. She followed the commentary.

"…_Feckner bleeding badly now… How is she still standing?... Marx stalking her now… AND SHE THROWS HER TO THE GROUND LIKE A WRESTLER! This isn't about skill, this isn't about training… THIS IS A GUTTER WAR… THIS IS ALL ABOUT WHO WANTS IT MORE…"_

Neither Wendy nor Carly could stand it, but they couldn't look away. This had gone completely off the rails, but neither of them cared anymore.

"…_Marx has her in a sleeper hold…"_

Just like that, it was all over. The referee grasped Jade Feckner's wrist. It fell to the canvas with a thud. Megan had rendered the girl completely unconscious.

_**AN HOUR LATER…**_

The visiting locker room, housing Team Feckner, was abuzz. Maya Feckner was able to locate her daughter's four dislodged teeth and their medical staff was able to staunch the bleeding. The locker room door flew open.

"NO INTERVIEWS!"

The voice she heard was cool and dispassionate – almost dead. It gave her chills.

"SECURITY!"

The old man simply laughed.

"Oh, you _foolish, foolish woman…_"

Maya Feckner had something of a conscience, but she wasn't below smacking around an old man. He spoke again, cutting her off.

"How do you think your sport would feel about knowing you had gotten into bed with something of an unsavory element? They do rather _frown_ _on _gambling now, don't they?"

Maya Feckner went ashen. No one knew she'd placed her own bets on her daughter's fights.

A sick, sly smile broke across the old man's face.

"Oh Heavens… Where _are_ my manners?..."

He extended his hand for her to shake, out of courtesy.

"…Carmine Puckett…"

It was just then that the cylinders clicked in Maya Feckner's long-ago-concussed brain. This was the man who was essentially into her for approximately a quarter-million dollars, give or take the vig.

_**SOMETIME LATER, BACK AT THE HOTEL…**_

Ashley babied Megan, steering clear of her butterfly-stitched eye and swollen right side.

"I love you… You scared me…"

Megan was content here. She rested against the blonde's chest and shoulder. Wendy would offer all the overprotective parenting in the world. It would all be okay now.


	24. iPostscript

**iPostscript**

_**THE HOTEL BAR, THAT NIGHT…**_

Shelby Marx and Sam Puckett sat alone in the otherwise deserted Parker-Nichols Hotel bar. It was well past one in the morning. They still had another forty-five minutes until Last Call.

They simply sat there, talking quietly amongst themselves, each sipping a glass of white wine. It had become Shelby's victory tradition. Sam Puckett spoke up, slightly inebriated, but no louder than usual.

"Shel, you realize this is fuckin' crazy, don't you? Wendy's gonna have a damned coronary…"

Shelby waved Sam off, seemingly unconcerned, though it could well have been the alcohol talking by this point.

"You leave Wendy to me, Sam… I can handle her pretty well after twenty years…"

Sam didn't doubt that, but she wanted to at least _appear_ to be the voice of reason here.

"Look, Champ, no disrespect… but frankly, y'aint young as Springtime… you've been out of the ring for… _Damn…_ has it been that long?"

Shelby Marx looked down, staring to the bottom of her wine glass. She knew she and Sam should've called it a night at least two bottles ago, but they were the same – Shelby and Sam. Sam and Shelby – They got each other in a way their own wives couldn't understand.

Returning her friend's gaze, Shelby locked eyes with Sam, serious as a heart attack.

"I'm _not_ asking you _again, _Sam… Have you got my back this one time?"

Shelby propped her arm up on the bar, as though she and Puckett were going to arm wrestle to see who took Carly Shay to Prom.

Sam reached over and grasped her friend's hand.

"Carls is gonna fuckin' kill me, Shel, but Christ, when you put it like that… You know I'm in…"

This had to be – by far – the most insane thing Sam Puckett had done in twenty years, but she was loyal, almost to a fault – she could never leave a friend hanging.

_**###**_


End file.
